Dehradun:
With traffic congestion becoming a year-round problem in Uttarakhand, social activist Anoop Nautiyal has urged the state government to adopt a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-style system to manage traffic pressure before the situation slips out of control.
In a proposal sent to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Nautiyal warned that traffic in the state is no longer confined to peak tourist months. He said continuous pressure due to the Char Dham Yatra, long weekends and extended holiday seasons has turned congestion into a daily challenge across many regions.
The activist cautioned that the upcoming opening of the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway could sharply increase the number of vehicles entering the state. He pointed out that hill roads already operate at limited capacity, and without advance planning, Uttarakhand could face what he described as a “traffic tsunami.”
Nautiyal said the absence of a structured traffic management framework leaves the administration and police reacting to crises rather than preventing them. As a result, residents and tourists often face long delays, chaos on roads and avoidable hardship.
To tackle this, he proposed a rule-based, pre-defined traffic response system on the lines of Delhi’s air pollution GRAP model. Under the suggested Uttarakhand Traffic GRAP, mild congestion would trigger traffic advisories, action against illegal parking and diversion to alternative routes. Heavy congestion could lead to parking restrictions and controlled entry of vehicles.
During severe congestion, non-essential heavy vehicles may be restricted and work-from-home options encouraged. In emergency situations, temporary curbs on tourist movement on select routes and dedicated corridors for ambulances and disaster response services would be activated.
He also recommended setting up an independent body called the Uttarakhand Commission for Traffic Management to monitor traffic data round the clock, activate different GRAP stages and ensure coordination among departments.
Nautiyal said such a move could make Uttarakhand the first state in the country with a dedicated state-level traffic management commission.
He expressed hope that the Chief Minister would take a proactive and innovative approach to manage emerging traffic hotspots and prevent a larger crisis in the hill state.
