Now that the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the travel time between the two cities will be reduced to around two and a half hours. This is, of course, a huge advantage in many ways. It is not just that travel will become easier and more convenient, there will also be considerable savings in freight rates for commercial enterprises. It will be possible now, theoretically speaking, to go to Delhi from Dehradun for a meeting or family event and return on the same day with considerable ease.
However, there are still several issues that people will have to cope with. First and foremost traffic conditions at the two ends of the Expressway are expected to get worse with the increase in the number of travelers. What’s the point of getting to Dehradun in a short while but then getting stuck in traffic within the city for an equal amount of time? And, for those wishing to go on to Mussoorie and other hill destinations, the journey can take several hours. There is already the ‘chhola bhatura’ crowd of weekend travelers. They drive up to Mussoorie, partake of dishes at roadside eateries then rush back to Delhi, NOIDA and Haryana. They will now be encouraged by the supposed shorter travel time to do more of the same. While tourists are welcome, those who do not spend too much are not exactly beneficial but contribute greatly to the traffic congestion.
As such, Dehradun will have to make arrangements for the increased difficulties to come. For one, construction of the proposed ropeway to Mussoorie must be speeded up. Large parking areas should be made available for the quick-trippers so that they can park in Doon and go up, either by the ropeway or special buses to Mussoorie. Only those intending to stay for longer periods and foray into the hills should be allowed to go further. Stays overnight in Dehradun hotels should also be encouraged so that the local economy benefits.
Traffic management requires far greater attention than at present. If this requires recruitment of more personnel to handle traffic, this should be done as quickly as possible. The projects on the anvil for a spread of road connectivity, such as the proposed elevated corridors, should be quickly implemented. Engineering ingenuity should be used to ensure that all the objections regarding environmental safety and local residents’ interests are dealt with effectively. People of the city also need to become better commuters so that traffic jams do not happen because of bad driving habits.
Otherwise, be prepared for even worse conditions than at present.
