New Delhi: Shimla is seeing a heavy tourist rush ahead of the long weekend and Eid holiday period, with police rolling out a special traffic plan to manage
the pressure on key routes into the hill city. The surge comes as people from the hotter plains head to Himachal Pradesh for a cooler break.
The biggest traffic load is being seen on the Solan-Shimla and Shimla-Solan route, which remains the main road link for many visitors. Police data shared by Shimla Additional SP Abhishek shows the scale of the rush is not small, and anyone who has been stuck on a hill road behind tourist cars will know how fast a “quick trip” can become a patience test.
VIDEO | Himachal Pradesh: Shimla Police rolls out special traffic plan amid tourist rush. Shimla Additional SP Abhishek, says, ” As you know, the tourist season is currently at its peak. Since the plains are experiencing summer and heatwave conditions these days, the number of… pic.twitter.com/usKnRWN0Gk
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Shimla sees sharp rise in tourist vehicles
Shimla Additional SP Abhishek said, “As you know, the tourist season is currently at its peak. Since the plains are experiencing summer and heatwave conditions these days, the number of tourists heading towards Shimla has increased significantly.”
He added that from May 18 to May 24, around 1,54,450 vehicles entered Shimla through three entry points from the Solan side, Bilaspur side, and Kinnaur side. Out of these, 1,04,260 vehicles were recorded only on the Solan-Shimla and Shimla-Solan route.
“So, you can imagine that it is a very huge number of tourist inflow,” he said.
6.31 lakh vehicle movements this month
The pressure is bigger when the monthly data is seen. From May 1 to May 24, nearly 6.31 lakh vehicle movements were recorded through different entry points. Out of this, around 3.70 lakh vehicles were on the Solan-Shimla and Shimla-Solan route alone.
Police said more than 70,000 vehicles moved between Solan and Shimla over the past three days. More than 25,000 vehicles from other states also entered the Shimla region.
Police steps up traffic management
The district police has increased traffic arrangements across the city to help both tourists and residents. The focus is on keeping movement steady at major entry points and busy stretches.
Additional SP Abhishek said, “To manage such enormous numbers, Shimla Police is implementing all its strategies. We are adopting a multi-pronged approach.”
He added, “As you may have noticed, despite such high traffic volume and the large number of vehicles, we have so far been successful in ensuring smooth traffic movement.”
For tourists planning a Shimla trip during the long weekend, early travel, patience, and route updates may now matter almost as much as hotel bookings.
