Parking chaos deepens Palampur’s traffic woes

Frequent traffic jams in Palampur, particularly in satellite areas, have caused significant inconvenience to residents, commuters and tourists. Most roads are choked with vehicles during morning and evening hours, making it difficult for pedestrians to move. Senior citizens have been hit the worst, with over a dozen of them seriously injured by speeding bikes on narrow roads of the town in the past three months.

Idle parking at key locations such as Ghuggar, Plaza Market, SSB Chowk, Kali Bari Mandir and opposite Rotary Bhavan has further worsened the situation.

Over 3,000 vehicles are added to the town every month. With no designated space, vehicles are parked on the roadside. No action is taken against defaulters. Despite repeated complaints, accident-prone areas, including Ghuggar, near Sheetla Mata Mandir and opposite Major Sudheer Walia’s statue, are gridlocked. Multiple accidents have been reported from these areas in the recent past.

A multi-storey parking project announced 14 years ago remains stuck due to bureaucratic delay. The Municipal Corporation had transferred 8 kanals to the Urban Development Department a decade ago, but no funds had been allocated for the construction of the faclility. Residents blame the government for neglecting Palampur, particularly its road network. Despite a sharp rise in the number of vehicles, road width remains unchanged from 30 years ago and no significant efforts have been made to widen the narrow stretches.

A shortage of manpower with the traffic police has compounded the problem. With the creation of the Dehara Police District last year, the force was divided accordingly, reducing manpower available for traffic management.

Adding to the chaos, over two dozen banks in Palampur have no parking spaces. Senior citizens and pensioners visiting the banks have no option but to park outside the buildings and are frequently challaned by the traffic police.

A senior police officer acknowledged the problem, but stressed the need for public cooperation. He said managing traffic was difficult without public support, noting that issuing challans was not a permanent solution. He urged people to follow traffic rules and avoid idle parking.

KB Ralhan, a local social activist and member of NGO People’s Voice, said addressing the idle parking issue would ease traffic situation significantly. He called for the deployment of additional traffic constables in congested areas such as Ghuggar, SSB Chowk and Plaza Market, where jams have become a routine.