With the tourist season in full swing, the roads of the state’s capital have been choked with a huge influx of vehicles, with over 10 lakh vehicles crossing the city in June.
As a result, traffic jams are being witnessed within Shimla as well as at its main entry points such as Taradevi, Dhalli, and Totu, causing huge inconvenience to commuters.
According to the police, the total number of vehicles crossing the town has witnessed a surge in June compared to May.
In May, about 8 lakh vehicles crossed Shimla, while so far in June, over 10 lakh vehicles have already crossed Shimla, bringing the two-month total to over 18.5 lakh vehicles. Shimla SSP Gaurav Singh said that despite the unprecedented influx of tourists during the summer tourist season, Shimla Police has ensured streamlined and proactive traffic management.
He said that to strengthen traffic management in view of the increasing traffic pressure, the number of police and home guard personnel was increased from 136 to 265.
“In addition, about 50 volunteers and 32 traffic bike riders were deployed, which ensured a quick response to traffic bottlenecks and smooth operations,” he said.
The SSP further stated that to ensure better traffic management and smooth traffic movement, the entire city was divided into five sectors, each assigned to a Grade One officer.
“These officers not only supervised but also personally led traffic operations by being present on the roads. Additionally, field visits are also being held by senior police officers to review the situation and, when necessary, resolve problems on the spot by making immediate decisions,” he said.
“To ease traffic congestion within the center of the city, vehicles traveling to Kufri, Mashobra, Naldehra, and Upper Shimla areas, as well as Kinnaur, are being encouraged to use the Shoghi-Mehli bypass. As a result, about 600 to 800 vehicles are commuting through this alternative route on a daily basis,” said the SSP.
“Additionally, effective management of parking spaces, real-time traffic updates through social media platforms, promotion of the use of public transport, and effective enforcement of traffic rules through interceptor vehicles have been important components of the overall traffic management strategy,” he said.
The SSP also appealed to tourists as well as locals to follow traffic rules and use alternative routes as needed.
