Shimla Summer Gridlock Begins: Tourist Rush Peaks but Trucks Still Choke City Arteries
Shimla:
Despite extra cops and bikes deployed by Shimla Police to manage the summer tourist rush, the hill capital remains choked with bumper-to-bumper traffic. From Victory Tunnel to Sanjauli and Dhalli, roads are crawling—thanks not just to the tourist inflow but also the never-ending presence of heavy trallas and trucks ploughing through the heart of the city.
Over 2.25 lakh vehicles entered and exited Shimla just last week, as per official data.
In response, the police pushed 46 additional cops into the Traffic Wing and plugged 23 vacant traffic points.
They also added 4 more motorbike riders, taking the total to 21, for quick response and patrolling.
But here’s the catch: trucks loaded with goods, sand, cement, and apples are still using the city’s central roads, creating daily disruptions.
Locals are raising a basic question—Why can’t Shimla Police divert these heavy vehicles going towards Theog, Narkanda, and Rohru via the Shoghi-Mehli bypass instead of letting them through Tara Devi, Boileauganj and Lakkar Bazaar?
“I appreciate the deployment of additional cops, but if trucks continue to ply through city roads during peak hours, what’s the point? The bypass exists for a reason,” said Ajay Sharma, a local trader in Sanjauli.
While Gazetted Officers are now “monitoring” traffic zones, idle parked vehicles and chaotic tourist driving continue to snarl up major stretches.
Shimla Police has urged residents and tourists alike to use public transport in core areas—but without curbing unnecessary private or commercial vehicle movement, the appeal seems toothless.
A special drive has begun to remove unattended vehicles, but lack of serious truck diversion policy is emerging as the Achilles’ heel of this summer’s traffic plan.
So while traffic cops sweat it out on the roads, the real challenge remains unanswered: parking issues and trucks.
#ShimlaGridlock #SummerRush2025 #TruckJamTrouble #TrafficCrisis
