Rush hour: Tourist influx during festive weekend chokes Himachal
Tourist influx has increased this weekend due to Dussehra. On an average, 5,000 vehicles enter Shimla on long weekends. SOUMYA SAMBASIVAN, Shimla SP
SHIMLA : The long weekend has Shimla on a short fuse.
The rush of tourists has left the hill capital choked with traffic jams and parking spaces packed to capacity since Friday evening.
Commute rs, particularly tourists, had tough time reaching their destinations. Vehicles move data snail’ space as the 120odd traffic police personnel tried to stream line the flow in the town.
The roads leading to Shimla near Shoghi and beyond Dhali tunnel towards Ku fri were worst hit. Jaswinder Singh, a tourist from Ludhiana, said it took him more than one-and-a-half hours to cover the 13-km stretch from Shimla to Shoghi. “It took longer to find a parking. We were planning to go to Kufri but taxi operators cautioned us about the jam ahead,” he said.
Shimla superintendent of police Sou my a Sambas ivan said, “Tourist in flux has increased this weekend due to D us se hr a. On an average 5,000 vehicles enter Shimla on long weekends, while the normal number is about 3,000 vehicles a day.”
The town has four major parking areas and they are packed.
Commuters and apple traders have parked vehicles on the roadside, leading to congestion from Kufri to Chharabra.
Hotels in and around the town are also packed to capacity. Atul Sood, a local hotelier, said, “We have been getting enquiries but can’ t take more tourists .” As hi sh Sood, a travel agent, said, “Most enquiries are for sightseeing in Kufri and Chharabra but we are discouraging tourists because of the jams .” Tourists complained of overcharging by taxi operators. “The taxi drivers charge ₹50 more than the usual fare, citing the travel time due to the traffic,” said Atul Chauhan, a resident of Shimla. “For local residents, it is better to walk than drive these days,” he said.
Sambasivan, however, said the police had not received any complaint of overcharging.
Shimla district tourist development officer Surinder Justa said town has more than 500 hotels with bed capacity of12,000. “Hotels are full to their capacity and asp era rough estimate, more than 15,000 tourists have arrived here this weekend,” he added. S him la hotelier association president Harman Kukreja said, “Occupancy rate is around 95% still we are getting inquiries.” He said tourists want to go towards Narkanda, Kufri, Naldehra instead of roaming here.