Short halts at entry points: Police's new mantra to decongest Shimla during peak tourist season

A 5-10-minute halt at entry points will ensure smooth vehicular movement in the Himachal Pradesh capital reeling from acute traffic congestion during the peak tourist season.

A 5-10-minute halt at entry points will ensure smooth vehicular movement in the Himachal Pradesh capital reeling from acute traffic congestion during the peak tourist season.

With the advent of summer signalling the peak tourist season in the 'Queen of the Hills', the police have formulated a strategy to ensure hassle free traffic movement in the city.

The summer peak tourist season in Shimla usually lasts from April 15 to June 15.

As part of a trial run, the police are stopping vehicles arriving in the town at the entry points — Shoghi for those coming from Chandigarh, Chhabra for those entering from upper Shimla/Kinnaur and Heeranagar for those from Mandi, Kangra and Hamirpur districts — to ensure smooth traffic flow in the city, Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said.

According to police data, about 60,000 vehicles remain parked on the roadsides in the city. On an average, about 12,000 vehicles enter Shimla on weekdays with the number rising to over 26,000 during weekends at the height of the tourist season.

"The flow of traffic goes beyond control at 16 bottlenecks and we are preparing a proposal to set up traffic lights at the three entry points — Shoghi, Chhabra and Heeranagar — that will be activated during rush hours," Mr. Gandhi told PTI.

Halting the onrushing traffic at the entry points is the need of the hour for smooth traffic on Cart Road (Circular Road) — the lifeline of Shimla — and to provide uninterrupted access to Victory Tunnel-Sanjauli Road for patients going to the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital, he added.