70,000 vehicles recorded in Shimla during long weekend, over 40,000 from outside state: HP Police

Around 70,000 vehicles entered Shimla district during the long weekend, including nearly 40,000 vehicles from outside Himachal Pradesh, prompting the police to deploy more than 200 personnel to manage the heavy traffic flow, Additional SP (Shimla City) Mehar Panwar said on Monday.

Around 70,000 vehicles entered Shimla district during the long weekend, including nearly 40,000 vehicles from outside Himachal Pradesh, prompting the police to deploy more than 200 personnel to manage the heavy traffic flow, Additional SP (Shimla City) Mehar Panwar said on Monday. Speaking to ANI in Shimla, Panwar said the police had made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth traffic movement amid the heavy influx of tourists.

“According to our records, around 70,000 vehicles were recorded in Shimla during the long weekend, of which nearly 40,000 were from outside the state. Considering the heavy traffic flow, more than 200 police personnel, including 26 riders, were deployed with the traffic wing,” Panwar said. She said Shimla city had been divided into five sectors, with each sector placed under the charge of an officer of the rank of NGO, while personnel from police stations were also deployed in their respective areas to assist the traffic wing.

“Police personnel were deployed from morning till night. The station staff were also present on the roads along with the traffic police, and the situation was managed through coordinated deployment,” Panwar said. She said ongoing road work on the National Highway between Mashobra and Dhalli Chowk also contributed to congestion as traffic was being regulated through a single lane.

“NH tarring work was also underway between Mashobra and Dhalli Chowk, because of which traffic could be moved in one direction through a single lane. This resulted in some congestion, but the police remained deployed throughout the day to manage the situation,” she said. Panwar said Shimla Police already had a comprehensive traffic management plan for the summer tourist season and the same framework would be strengthened for the upcoming tourist season.

“We have a traffic plan in place which helped us manage the summer tourist season effectively. Under the same plan, additional police personnel will be deployed at all major points during the upcoming tourist season. Regular traffic monitoring and proper supervision are also being carried out,” she said. She said the traffic management plan would be reviewed and improved periodically depending on the situation.

Panwar said vehicle-specific diversion arrangements were also being implemented to prevent unnecessary traffic from entering the core areas of Shimla. “Diversion stickers are put on vehicles so that they can be properly diverted. Vehicles that need to go beyond Shimla are prevented from entering the city unnecessarily and are diverted around it,” she said.

She added that heavy vehicles were generally permitted to enter Shimla city before the morning traffic peak or after the night period to reduce the load on roads during busy hours. Panwar appealed to tourists as well as local residents to follow traffic rules and cooperate with traffic police.

“We welcome all tourists coming to Shimla and Himachal Pradesh. At the same time, I appeal to tourists and local residents to strictly follow traffic rules and cooperate with the traffic police. Whenever diversion or parking-related instructions are issued, they should be followed so that we can ensure better traffic management,” she said. Panwar said the police expected the number of vehicles to increase further in the coming days but was prepared to handle the traffic on all major roads.

“We expect the traffic volume to increase further in the coming days, but we are prepared to manage all major routes,” she said. (ANI)