Shimla Ward Watch Upper Dhalli: Lack of taxi service bothers residents

Tribune News Service

Navneet Rathore

Shimla, May 9

With the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) taxi service unavailable in the Upper Dhalli ward of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), residents rue that they have to pay through nose to hire private vehicles in emergency situations.

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As soon as the parking problem is solved, the Upper Dhalli road will be declared an ambulance road after which regular taxi services will be started here. — Kamlesh Mehta, UPPER DHALLI Councillor

Locals have to walk long distances uphill on a daily basis, causing a lot of inconvenience, especially to senior citizens, children and patients. “We have to book private taxis at higher rates in emergency situations,” said Kapil, a resident of Upper Dhalli ward.

Kanchan Gupta, another resident of the ward, said due to the lack of the taxi service here, students and office-goers have to walk long distances to reach their destinations. “It will be a major relief for us if a regular taxi service is started in the area,” she said.

The locals also complain of congested roads and the lack of enough parking facilities in the ward. They said vehicles parked on the roadside led to jams on a daily basis.

Area Councillor Kamlesh Mehta said the ward does not have enough parking space due to which people park their vehicles on the roadside, which makes it difficult to ply a taxi here.

Mehta said when she was elected as councillor for the first time, there were as no parking facility. “I got constructed five parking facilities across the ward and one more is proposed, the work on which will start soon,” she added.

Mehta added that as soon as the parking problem is solved, the Upper Dhalli road will be declared an ambulance road after which regular taxi services will be started here.

She said the ward also lacked government land. “The ward mostly has private land and land owned by APMC due to which it is very difficult to build a parking facility to accommodate more vehicles,” she said.

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