Summer holidays, pleasant weather bring rush to Himachal's Shimla; visitors hail traffic management

PLeasant brave out conditions, intermittent rainfall and tank temperatures feature drawn a big list of tourists to Himachal Pradesh during the long weekend, with the state's capital Shimla also seeing a rush of visitors from different parts of the country.Tourists said the city's favourable weather, scenic beauty, religious attractions, rich culture and comparatively smooth traffic movement were making their holiday experience enjoyable despite the heavy rush.Also Read| Sukhu inaugurates first women’s de-addiction, rehabilitation centre in ShimlaFamilies travelling during the summer vacation and weekend are flocking to hill stations across Himachal Pradesh to escape the intense heat prevailing in Delhi and other parts of the northern plains.Speaking to ANI, Manish Goyal, a tourist from Delhi, said he was enjoying the pleasant weather in Shimla. "We have come from Delhi. The weather here is very pleasant. It feels really good to be here and we are enjoying a lot. There is not too much of a crowd. Of course, there are many tourists, but we are comfortable. We did not face much traffic," Goyal said.Another tourist from Delhi, Sumit, who visited the famous Jakhoo Temple, said the long weekend and cool weather had attracted a huge number of visitors to Shimla."The weather is excellent, very pleasant. We have holidays and it is a long weekend. There is a lot of crowd, but the weather is wonderful. We have come to Jakhoo Temple for darshan. There is a huge rush, but we had a very good darshan. God has called us and given us the opportunity to offer our prayers. Shimla is completely packed. Looking at the heat in Delhi and other parts of the country, I think the tourist rush will continue," he said."I would say people should come here happily and definitely visit. It is a wonderful tourist destination. Everyone should come at least once. It is a very beautiful place," he added.Parul, who also came from Delhi, said the weather and smooth traffic arrangements had enhanced their experience. She visited Lord Hanuman temple in Jakhoo."The long weekend has given people an opportunity to visit tourist destinations. Traffic is moving well and there are no major problems. We are facing delays of only five to fifteen minutes and are reaching our destinations comfortably. Delhi is extremely hot, so people are getting an opportunity to visit tourist places. We had a very good darshan and are feeling great. We have come to Shimla for sightseeing and since we travelled by car, we wanted to begin our trip with blessings at Jakhoo Hanuman Temple. It feels wonderful to be here," she said.According to Shimla Police, tourist arrivals have remained high during the tourism season.Police data showed that during May 2026, nearly 8.5 lakh vehicles entered Shimla through major entry routes, including Shoghi, Bilaspur and Kinnaur. In June, about 3.8 lakh vehicles have already entered the district through various entry points.To ensure smooth traffic movement amid the tourist rush, Shimla Police has implemented a comprehensive traffic management plan.The number of police and Home Guard personnel deployed for traffic management has been significantly increased from 127 personnel in 2025 to 210 personnel in 2026. Additionally, around 70 reserve police personnel deployed during the recently concluded Summer Festival have been retained in Shimla to manage traffic pressure during the tourism season.Police have also engaged around 50 civil volunteers and student volunteers to assist traffic personnel at key locations across the city.To respond quickly to congestion and emergencies, 32 traffic bike riders have been deployed in different sectors of the city, while interceptor vehicles are being used to ensure compliance with traffic regulations.The city has been divided into five traffic sectors, each supervised by a gazetted officer responsible for ensuring smooth vehicular movement in the assigned area.Special arrangements have also been made at major parking facilities to streamline vehicle entry and exit and reduce congestion in busy parts of the city.Shimla Police is encouraging tourists travelling towards Kufri, Narkanda, Theog and Kinnaur to use the Shoghi-Mehli Bypass Road, which helps reduce pressure on city roads. Police said around 800 vehicles are being diverted daily through the alternate route.Awareness campaigns are also being conducted through social media, with informational videos being circulated on the best routes to Jakhoo Temple and the use of the Shoghi-Mehli bifurcation road.To reduce dependence on private vehicles, authorities have also allowed travellers, Urbania vans and other public transport vehicles to operate on Cart Road.Police said these measures have helped maintain normal and smooth traffic flow despite the heavy tourist influx. To tackle breakdown-related congestion, three cranes have been stationed in different sectors of the city for immediate response.Shimla Police has welcomed tourists visiting the hill station and appealed to both visitors and local residents to follow traffic regulations, use designated parking spaces and cooperate with authorities by adopting alternate routes whenever advised.With schools closed for summer vacations, pleasant temperatures prevailing across the hills and a long weekend drawing travellers from neighbouring states, tourism stakeholders expect visitor numbers in Shimla and other popular destinations of Himachal Pradesh to remain high in the coming days.