Dehradun Police to enforce special traffic plan for weekend tourist rush amid heatwave

Adequate police presence has been established at major intersections, market areas, diversion points, and sensitive routes to minimise congestion.Specific route plans will be in place for vehicles coming from Delhi, Haryana, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, and Roorkee.Vehicles heading toward Mussoorie via the Expressway Datkali can use designated alternative routes through the ISBT, Ballupur Flyover, and Purkul Gaon, or utilise the Kimadi-Hathipaon route.Similarly, vehicles coming from Rishikesh or Haridwar heading towards Mussoorie will be redirected via Thano Road, Ladpur, and the Sahastradhara crossing to reach Kuthal Gate.

The Dehradun Police will enforce a special traffic diversion plan from Saturday to manage an anticipated weekend tourist rush across the district.

This two-day traffic management plan will be in effect from May 23 to May 24 across the district.

Officials said that school holidays and an ongoing heatwave affecting neighbouring states and the National Capital Region (NCR) are driving people to seek cooler destinations like Mussoorie and Chakrata.

Additional traffic pressure is anticipated due to the opening of the Hemkund Sahib portals and the Char Dham Yatra. Rafting activities in Rishikesh and increased vehicular traffic due to the new expressway are also contributing factors.

To effectively regulate traffic, the Dehradun city and traffic police have divided the routes into four super zones, ten zones, and nineteen sectors. A total of 130 police personnel have been deployed at key locations.

According to the officials, two drone teams will monitor vehicle movement across all routes leading to Mussoorie and Dehradun city. Adequate police presence has been established at major intersections, market areas, diversion points, and sensitive routes to minimise congestion.

Specific route plans will be in place for vehicles coming from Delhi, Haryana, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, and Roorkee.

Vehicles heading toward Mussoorie via the Expressway (Datkali) can use designated alternative routes through the ISBT, Ballupur Flyover, and Purkul Gaon, or utilise the Kimadi-Hathipaon route.

Similarly, vehicles coming from Rishikesh or Haridwar heading towards Mussoorie will be redirected via Thano Road, Ladpur, and the Sahastradhara crossing to reach Kuthal Gate. Traffic returning from Mussoorie will be diverted through Old Rajpur Road and the Sai Mandir diversion to reduce congestion in the main city area.

If traffic congestion increases near Pacific Mall and Centrio Mall in Dehradun, local diversions will be activated to route vehicles through Canal Road and Bindal, respectively. Barriers will also be placed at Sahastradhara and Gucchupani to manage tourist vehicle flow.

In Mussoorie, a tiered parking plan will be implemented. If local parking spaces reach 90 per cent capacity, tourist vehicles will be parked at King Craig, and passengers will be transferred to local taxis.

A similar three-tiered traffic layout (Plans A, B, and C) has been formulated for Rishikesh. Heavy vehicles will be rerouted from Nepali Farm towards Dehradun and will only be allowed to enter Rishikesh after night-entry restrictions are lifted.

Parking zones have been designated across Dehradun, Mussoorie, Rishikesh, and Vikasnagar, including Rangers Ground and Parade Ground in the capital.

Emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, fire tenders, and police vehicles, will be exempt from all diversions. Essential supply vehicles for milk, petrol, and gas will be allowed to use alternative routes.

Vehicles parked in non-designated areas will be towed by traffic cranes, and action will be taken against violators. Authorities have requested commuters to follow traffic updates on official social media channels and adhere to the signage displayed.