Long weekend nightmare for locals, tourists in Shimla, D’sala

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 1

The three-day-long week-end proved a boon for hoteliers as high occupancy was reported during the period. However, the tourist rush proved a nightmare for the locals as well as tourists as roads were choked with vehicles, resulting in massive traffic jams.

Thousands of tourists and locals were stranded in the 8-km traffic jam from Tara Devi to old bus stand during the day. A large number of people returning home, including employees and students as well as tourists, had a harrowing experience as traffic normalised after nearly three hours.

The vehicles parked on the roadside aggravated the problem and the tourists, enquiring about accommodation, stopped their vehicles on the middle of the road, causing obstruction.

There is an acute shortage of parking space in the capital. A large numbers of house owners have no provision for parking and no option other than parking their vehicles on the roadside. Commercial parking lots, being constructed by the Shimla MC, have not served the purpose as the parking fee fixed by promoters is too high and unaffordable for a common man.

In spite of instructions  by the High Court to regulate traffic, nothing much has been done and vehicles are being challaned indiscriminately. Even the vehicles carrying older people and patients are not spared.

During the week-end there was a surge in tourist inflow and the occupancy in the nearby hotels rose from 45 per cent to 95 per cent while the hotels in the main town were packed to the capacity. More than 5,000 vehicles per day entered Shimla during the past four days.

Not only the hoteliers but tourist guides, porters and taxi operators did a roaring business. “The occupancy increased to 95 per cent due to sudden tourist rush”, said Mohinder Seth, president, Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association, Shimla.