By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 18 Apr: Following last weekend’s overwhelming tourist influx to Dehradun and its neighbouring hill stations like Mussoorie, which left vehicular movement across the district virtually paralysed, the Dehradun Police has introduced a revised and comprehensive traffic management plan in anticipation of another surge in visitors this coming weekend. It may be recalled that Dehradun traffic goes chaotic almost every weekend due to heavy influx of tourist vehicles which flock to the state every weekend and particularly on extended weekends.
It may be recalled that the last weekend witnessed an unprecedented gathering of tourists at popular destinations such as Mussoorie and Rishikesh, leading to extensive traffic jams and considerable inconvenience for both residents and travellers. To prevent a recurrence of such chaos, the district police has instituted a range of measures, to address heavy and light vehicle movement while focusing on high-congestion zones.
At first sight, however, the plan appears aimed to restrict the entry of outside vehicles, particularly the heavy vehicles at strategic locations rather than providing alternate routes to them to enable them to reach their destinations. According to the revised arrangements, heavy vehicles travelling from the Raipur area towards Rishikesh will now be detained at the Maldevta Check Post and the open ground near Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Tiraha. Similarly, those en-route from the Thano region will be halted at Ranipokhri. In Patel Nagar, heavy vehicles shall be denied entry into the city and will instead be stopped at Naya Gaon and Transport Nagar. In the Doiwala area, such vehicles will be restrained at locations including Laltappad, Bhaniyawala Service Lane, Harrawala and Kuanwala. The Sahaspur region will see similar restrictions, with vehicles detained at Dharmawala and Sabhawala, ensuring no heavy vehicle enters the city.
To address potential traffic pressure within the city’s limits, arrangements have also been made for rerouting light vehicles. Vehicles arriving from Haridwar will be diverted from Bhaniyawala Tiraha and Doiwala towards Mussoorie through alternative routes passing Durga Chowk, Bhuiyan Mandir, Thano Road, Maharana Pratap Chowk, Maldevta, and Krishali Chowk. Light vehicles coming from Rishikesh will be redirected at Airport Tiraha and guided along SDRF Tiraha, Thano Road, Maharana Pratap Chowk, Maldevta, and Krishali Chowk to reach Mussoorie. Vehicles approaching from Asharodi will follow a designated alternate route via Shimla Bypass, St Jude’s Chowk, Kamla Palace, Ballupur Chowk, Cantt Chowk, CSD Tiraha, Robber’s Cave, and Kimadi Road to reach their destination.
In the eventuality of heightened congestion, light vehicles entering from Paonta Sahib will be diverted at Vikasnagar, traversing the Yamuna Bridge and Kempty Falls en route to Mussoorie. Further, vehicles intended for Rishikesh and Haridwar from the congested Rispana and Jogiwala areas will be rerouted from Kargi Chowk via Dudhli and Doiwala.
Visitors bound for Sahastradhara from Haridwar and Rishikesh will also face diversions at Airport Tiraha, Bhaniyawala Tiraha and Doiwala, and will be redirected through Bhuiyan Mandir, Thano Road, Maharana Pratap Chowk, and Maldevta.
The police authorities have earnestly appealed to the public, including both residents and tourists, to extend full cooperation with the traffic personnel stationed across critical points. Citizens have also been advised to adhere strictly to designated routes and utilise navigation tools and real-time traffic updates to mitigate delays.
