By Sunil Sonker
Mussoorie, 22 Jul: Amidst the tourist season and mounting traffic pressure, the Mussoorie Municipal Council has decided to implement a new system to make Mall Road and Landour Bazaar congestion-free. A joint meeting involving traders and administrative officials was held at the Municipal Council premises, presided over by Municipal Chairperson Meera Saklani and City Station House Officer (SHO) Devendra Chauhan, at which several key decisions were taken.
Chairperson Meera Saklani stated that maintaining smooth traffic flow is Mussoorie’s biggest challenge. The new traffic system is being introduced with the convenience of local residents, traders, and tourists in mind; this aims to reduce the burden of unnecessary vehicles in the market area and provide relief to the public.
It was decided at the meeting that the municipality would raise public awareness through announcements regarding the removal of two-wheelers and four-wheelers from the market area. Meanwhile, vehicles heading towards Char Dukan and Dhanaulti will be diverted via the bypass route, passing from Ghantaghar (Clock Tower) through the Civil Hospital. Information boards will be installed at key locations such as Picture Palace, Bada Mod, and JP Bend for this purpose. Meera Saklani noted that while necessary exemptions would be granted to ambulances and local vehicles—keeping local residents and essential services in mind—alternative routes would be utilised to limit the number of vehicles in the market area. She mentioned that arrangements would be made to park all two-wheelers at the designated ‘Butcher House’ parking area to prevent disorder on Mall Road and around Ghantaghar. She emphasised that the safety of children during school hours is the top priority; consequently, police personnel will be deployed in the Ghantaghar area to make traffic management more effective. Appreciating the suggestions offered by the traders, the Municipal Chairperson stated that the collective cooperation of the administration and the business community is essential to improving the city’s traffic system. She also appealed to citizens to adhere to the new system and cooperate in making Mussoorie congestion-free and well-organised.
Representatives from the Traders’ Association—including Upendra Panwar, Manoj Agrawal, Atul Agrawal, Akhilesh Rawat, Ayush Bansal, and Anand Rastogi—along with others, attended the meeting. It was also agreed that if the new system proves successful, it would be implemented on a broader scale in the future. Municipal Council Chairperson Meera Saklani stated that Mussoorie is defined by its beauty and organised tourism infrastructure. Therefore, freeing the city from traffic congestion and disorder to provide a better environment for both tourists and local residents is a priority for the Municipal Council.
