Darjeeling, May 25 -- Amid worsening traffic congestion during the ongoing tourist season, the Darjeeling district administration has initiated a series of meetings with stakeholders to work out immediate and long-term measures to ease vehicular pressure in the hill town. One of the key decisions taken at a meeting on Monday was the abolition of the token system for vehicles travelling to Tiger Hill for sunrise viewing from June 1.

District Magistrate Harishanker Panicker said the administration was working on both short-term and permanent solutions to address the growing traffic crisis. "Everyone has a role to play. Vehicles should not be parked along roadsides, particularly in no-parking zones," he said. Referring to encroachments along NH-55, Panicker added that the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. had been informed and would conduct a survey before taking necessary action.

According to Sanjukta Chalak Manch spokesperson Biswas Bomzan, the token system had originally been introduced by police to regulate tourist vehicles travelling to Tiger Hill. Although around 750 tokens are reportedly issued daily to taxis operating from Darjeeling, Kurseong, Siliguri, Sonada and Sukhiapokhari, the actual number of vehicles visiting Tiger Hill is around 400. Bomzan said the decision to abolish the system was facilitated through the intervention of Darjeeling MLA Noman Rai.

Under the revised arrangement, all vehicles heading to Tiger Hill must reach the spot by 4.30 am. After sunrise and visits to nearby tourist

destinations such as the Japanese Temple, tourists are expected to return to their hotels by 6.45 am.

The SCM also submitted a memorandum proposing several traffic management measures, including restricting outside vehicles to pick-up and drop-off services, introducing smaller buses on hill roads, alternative one-way traffic routes during peak hours, additional parking facilities at Lebong and Jorebunglow, and an odd-even system for private vehicles during severe congestion. The organisation also proposed shifting the Darjeeling-Ghoom toy train joy ride to the Ghoom-Sonada route to reduce traffic disruption.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.