ML Verma/ Shimla, July 1,
Shimla, the picturesque capital of Himachal Pradesh, has long been a favorite summer destination, attracting thousands of tourists each day seeking relief from the oppressive heat of the plains. This June, the town welcomed an unprecedented 15 lakh visitors, averaging around 50,000 tourists daily. While the scenic beauty and colonial charm of Shimla continue to draw large crowds, the heavy influx of tourists has overwhelmed the town’s limited road infrastructure, leading to severe traffic congestion.
The town’s bottlenecks are designed to accommodate only 14,000 to 15,000 vehicles at any given time, but the actual number of vehicles far exceeds this capacity during the peak tourist season. This has created significant challenges for local authorities in managing the traffic flow. Narveer Singh Rathore, Additional SP of the Tourist, Traffic, and Railway Police (TTR) in Shimla, pointed out that illegal parking is a major contributing factor to the traffic jams, further complicating the situation.
In response to the persistent traffic woes, the Himachal Pradesh Police, under the direction of Director General Dr. Atul Verma, has rolled out a comprehensive strategy to address the issue. A detailed survey was conducted to identify hotspots of illegal parking throughout Shimla. Based on the findings, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was drafted to hire cranes on a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) basis. This initiative aims to efficiently remove illegally parked vehicles, thus easing traffic congestion and improving road safety.
Despite these efforts, the measures taken so far have not been sufficient to fully resolve the problem. The sheer volume of tourists and vehicles continues to surpass the town’s capacity, resulting in ongoing traffic snarls. To combat this, the authorities have also employed drone cameras for aerial monitoring and have engaged private stakeholders in towing operations. However, these steps, while positive, are not enough on their own.
Shimla’s traffic management systems requires more robust and comprehensive measures at the governmental level to effectively manage the influx of tourists during the peak season. As the summer goes out to give way to monsoon, both tourists and residents hope for more effective solutions to ensure smoother travel and to maintain the town’s charm without the burden of traffic woes.
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