Traffic congestion is regular sight in Shimla city. Congested and shrinking roads, due to the unabated illegal encroachment by the shopkeepers and unregulated hawkers, are adding to the regular traffic vows. During the tourists’ seasons, heavy vehicular movements’ causes severe traffic jams and even leading roads to the city are also facing same problem.
Despite traffic police earnest endevour, commuters have to wait in the long queue of traffic. Unregulated high numbers of vehicles, idle parking and big vehicles are main reason behind the jam, but local Bus Stands at Lakkar Bazzar and Shimla City near Gurudwara, are another cause of traffic, which hardly got any attention from the policymakers.
This year so far has proven worse year in terms of traffic congestions, thanks to high tourists’ movement, meager parking space and land slide on the main roads. Circular road, a lifeline of City, Khalini, BCS, Kasumpati, Panthaghati, Chotta Shimla, Sanjaulli and Dhalli area of the City are badly affected from traffic congestion.
Authority has failed to address the issue from past many years, and many officials’ decisions, announcements and promises had only restricted to the politicians’ high voltage speeches and officials press releases.
Lakhs of tourists throng to the Shimla city very years to enjoy its pleasant weather, but ever increasing traffic and shrinking roads gives them difficult time in this once beautiful hill city. Shimla city and its’ nearby beautiful nearby places have much more to offers to its visitors, but only need prudent planning to make this place better and tourist friendly.
Recently, in a meeting of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board, Chief Minister has stated to convert HRTC Dhalli workshop in a Bus Stand for the buses plying for upper regions of Shimla, Kinnaur district and Karsog areas. Buses are causing regular traffic jams in the city – right from the victory tunnel to Sanjauli, and if implemented in true spirit, it could have positive outcome.
There are numbers of parking lot proposed to be constructed in Vikas Nagar, Sanjaulli, Dhalli, Khalini etc., but on ground there is no visible breakthrough.
