During peak holiday season, tourist influx causes traffic congestion in Shimla

With the summer holiday season in full swing Himachal Pradesh is witnessing a massive influx of tourists from across the country especially from the northern states This surge has brought life to a near standstill in the hill capital Shimla as traffic congestion has worsened significantly due to the sheer volume of vehicles entering the cityAccording to data shared by the Shimla district administration over three lakh vehicles have entered Shimla in the past two weeks alone Of these around 15 lakh vehicles are tourist vehicles that make their way into the hill stationSpeaking to ANI Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap confirmed the unprecedented vehicular rushThe tourist movement is at its peak right now From June 1 to June 15 about 126000 vehicles entered Shimla via Solan In addition around 40000 vehicles had entered the capital before June 1 and exited during this period Counting both entries and exits the total vehicle movement has crossed three lakh in just 15 days Daily around 20000 vehicles mostly from other states are entering Shimla The traffic congestion is immense and its undeniable said KashyapKashyap said the administration is working on multiple fronts to manage the chaos and is making efforts to ease pressureWe are exploring alternate routes and mobility options Traffic regulation reforms are under serious consideration In fact we have constituted a committee at the ADM level that gathers public feedback Stakeholders such as transporters school principals and departmental representatives are being consulted Dedicated HRTCrun buses for specific routes are also being factored in the Shimla Deputy Commissioner saidSoon we will present a comprehensive traffic plan that aims to streamline the vehicular movement in Shimla From early morning to late night police teams are deployed for traffic control Many roads here are restricted or narrow and tourists rely on Google Maps or other online navigation systems so proper guidance becomes essential Kashyap addedDescribing the longterm challenge the Deputy Commissioner said that increasing vehicular traffic is becoming a challenge and plans are being developed to address thisThis is a complex situation that has intensified over the past 57 years We cannot resolve this without collective cooperation A final traffic strategy is being developed with coordination from all stakeholders he saidKashyap appealed to the public to remain considerate toward touristsTourists are our guests We must prioritise their experience Following the Atithi Devo Bhava ethos its our responsibility to ensure their comfort and offer proper guidance Our policing approach is designed to act as facilitators and not just enforcers We are trying to build a touristfriendly policing concept If unfortunate incidents occur they can be recorded and go viral on social media which affects our image So its important we treat tourists with warmth and support Our colours our state represent politeness and hospitality said KashyapThe tourists coming to the region echo delight and concern amid vehicular traffic Despite the congestion tourists say theyre enjoying their time in the cool mountains of Himachal PradeshKavita a tourist from Delhi and a school teacher who visited Shimla after exploring Jibhi in Kullu district said The temperature in Delhi is extremely high these days Since its summer break for children and Im a teacher we can only plan outings during vacations Thats why we prefer hill stations like ShimlaBut yes traffic on the way is very heavy A route that normally takes half an hour takes double or even triple the time Still were enjoying our trip Its totally paisa vasool There are a lot of tourists here no doubt The traffic is heavy but thats because people are flocking to the hills You must come when you get the chance well come again for sure said KavitaSuraj another tourist from Delhi who also travelled through the Jibhi area before arriving in Shimla said Temperatures in Delhi are around 40 to 45 degrees Celsius these days Shimlas weather is amazing it is much cooler Theres a lot of traffic especially during holidays We experienced heavy traffic jams Its taking more time to travel and its also been raining which adds to the delays But the weather is beautiful no doubt about thatAs tourist footfall continues to swell the hill stations administration faces mounting pressure to balance the booming tourism economy with infrastructural and ecological concerns With traffic congestion becoming a daily ordeal the Shimla district authorities are now looking to implement a more structured traffic management plan to ensure that visitors can enjoy the Himalayan charm without being bogged down by gridlockThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice 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