Mussoorie, June 19 -- The Uttarakhand government is planning to develop a network of mini parking facilities across Mussoorie to address the chronic traffic congestion and acute parking shortages in the hill station, officials said. The move follows directions from the Uttarakhand high court in April, after which a high-level committee headed by home secretary Shailesh Bagauli was constituted to examine recurring traffic jams and inadequate parking infrastructure in the popular tourist destination. According to Rahul Anand, SDM Mussoorie, the administration has completed a preliminary assessment of around 800 vacant land parcels within the civic limits of the hill station and submitted its recommendations to the committee. "About 800 vacant land parcels were identified during the latest house census. However, some of these locations have difficult access points. We have now prepared a detailed report identifying suitable parcels that can be developed for parking and submitted it to the committee on Wednesday along with suggestions received from various stakeholders to address Mussoorie's traffic problems," said Rahul. He said the administration has also invited private landowners interested in developing multi-level parking facilities. A proposal for a digital platform displaying real-time parking availability across various parking sites has also been submitted to the committee. Officials said additional suggestions received from stakeholders, including hotel owners, are being examined to create more parking infrastructure and reduce traffic congestion. The administration is also exploring alternative routes through Kimari Road to ease pressure on the Mussoorie-Dehradun road, particularly during peak tourist seasons. Meera Saklani, president of the Mussoorie Municipal Board, said the town currently has parking capacity for around 2,500 vehicles, including spaces available within hotels, while the daily requirement often exceeds 5,000 vehicles. "A comprehensive plan is required to create multi-level parking facilities as well as small parking pockets accommodating around 10 vehicles each at congestion-prone locations. Such interventions are necessary to address traffic bottlenecks that frequently occur in the town," said Saklani. She added that stakeholders had submitted their suggestions to the administration and stressed that permissions for private parking projects should be granted without delays. Meanwhile, the Mussoorie Hotel Association has submitted a comprehensive set of recommendations to Dheeraj Garbiyal, Tourism Secretary, seeking long-term traffic management solutions. Ajay Bhargav, secretary of the Mussoorie Hotel Association, said "To significantly increase the town's vehicle-holding capacity, we have suggested creating pocket parking facilities and incentivising stakeholders willing to build such infrastructure. Existing open parking areas should also be converted into multi-level structures wherever feasible," said Bhargav....