Shimla, Oct. 4 -- A tourist rush during the ongoing long weekend has led to traffic congestion in several key destinations in Himachal Pradesh, with hotel occupancy in major tourist centres ranging between 60% and 80%. Long queues of vehicles were seen on roads, resulting in traffic snarls in hill resorts including Manali, Dharamshala and Shimla. With heavy influx of tourists on Saturday, Shimla witnessed long queues of vehicles. The road construction and tarring work further increased the problem. Vehicular movement was affected due to tarring work going on on Dhalli to Sanjauli road. Due to work on the road, vehicles had to pass at slow speed at many places, due to which long queues of vehicles formed in no time. Its effect was also seen on the nearby connectivity routes. "The traffic is moving at a snail's pace. A journey that used to take 10 minutes is taking 45 minutes today," said Jamna, a resident of Summer Hill. Gajender Thakur, president of the Federation of Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Association (FOHHRA), said that tourist arrivals have surged during the long weekend, with many visitors travelling to popular destinations in the state. He said the tourism industry was now looking forward to the upcoming festival season, including Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas and New Year, and expected the tourist footfall to continue increasing in the coming days. Naren Shahi, a local travel agent, said, "After the rainy season, this long weekend has suddenly brought a large number of tourists to Shimla. The occupancy is between 70 and 80%, and many tourists have arrived during the long weekend." BJP state co-media in-charge and spokesperson, Pyar Singh Kanwar, questioned the state's Congress government and administration regarding the traffic situation in the capital, Shimla. He said that traffic congestion in the city is becoming increasingly severe, with the general public on the receiving end. Kanwar alleged that the administrative machinery has shifted its focus away from the capital's daily operations due to the chief minister's visit to Rohru and Rampur. He pointed out that heavy traffic jams persisted on Shimla's Circular Road throughout Saturday morning. The parking facility near the 'Lift' was full by 11am, and queues of vehicles stretched from the Lift all the way to Totu/Totland. Traffic was also disrupted between the vidhan sabha and Boileauganj. A large number of tourists from states including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi have arrived in Shimla due to the weekend and holidays. Kanwar said, "The arrival of tourists in Shimla is beneficial for our tourism industry, but the increase in tourist numbers is not an unforeseen situation for the administration. Since the rise in traffic pressure during weekends and holidays is predictable, the government and administration should have a traffic plan ready in advance." Kanwar said that the government needs to formulate a long-term, practical plan to address traffic congestion in key areas such as Sanjauli, Dhalli, Lakkar Bazar, Victory Tunnel, Boileauganj, Totu (Toland), the Lift area, and Circular Road. He said, "Shimla is not only the state capital but also an international tourist destination. If visiting tourists get stuck in traffic jams for hours and locals take hours to reach their offices, hospitals, schools, or homes, it will directly impact the city's image and the tourism industry."...