Vehicle restriction at Tiger Hill ... SERIES OF STEPS TO STREAMLINE HILL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

VIVEK CHHETRI, ,TT, 29 Aug 2019, Darjeeling: The number of vehicles allowed to Tiger Hill, Darjeeling's famous sunrise spot, will be restricted from September 1 as part of a new traffic management system under which a road in the heart of the town will be thrown open to vehicles.

The steps announced on Wednesday are part of efforts set in motion by the police at a meeting with various stakeholders at Chowrasta, Darjeeling's iconic promenade, on Saturday to ease traffic in the congested city. "In spirit of the resolution taken up during public meeting held on 24.08.2019 at Chowrasta, Darjeeling, following will be applicable with effect from 01.09.2019," an order signed by Rahul Pandey, DSP (town), states.

The following steps will be implemented in Darjeeling town: 

• A maximum of 300 vehicles will be allowed to go to Tiger Hill in a day. Coupons for the journey will be issued by Sadar traffic office a day in advance 
• H.D. Lama Road will be opened to traffic. Hawkers will no longer be permitted on the road. The road has been closed to traffic for many years and hawkers have set up shop along the stretch. 
• The tourist spot at Batasia Loop will open at 10am, instead of 6am. Vehicles will be allowed to park only at designated spots near Batasia Loop. 
• No car will be allowed to stop in the area around Darjeeling zoo and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. Visitors will have to get off at the PWD parking lot, and walk 100m to the zoo and HMI.

• Parking won't be allowed in front of shops at Tenzing Rock and Upper and Lower Chittray, apart from other identified stretches 
• No heavy vehicles will be allowed to ply between 7am to 8 pm inside the town 
• Pick-up and drop will be allowed only at designated spots between Chowkbazar and Ghoom 

Pradip Lama, the general secretary of the Darjeeling Association of Travel Agents (DATA) and president of the Pahar Terai Sanjukta Pariwahan Maha Sangh, said restricting vehicles to Tiger Hill would only lead to black marketing.

"The coupons will be sold in the black market by transporters like at Nathu-la (in Sikkim). The governmentfixed rate for entry to Nathu-la is Rs 5,500, but it goes up to Rs 9,000 per vehicle during the peak seasons because of black marketing practices," Lama said, adding that he had made this submission in writing to Darjeeling police on Monday.

Lama suggested that "smart and strict officers, along with civic volunteers, be deputed at Tiger Hill and Bastasia" and that the transport associations be involved.

"Let us start with an oddeven formula for vehicles entering Darjeeling town, like the model tried out in Delhi," he said.

Many residents, however, feel that instead of trying to restrict private vehicles, measures should be taken to rein in commercial vehicles.

Residents also want the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration to dismantle shops at the parking plaza near Darjeeling Government College. The GTA has agreed to dismantle the shuttered shops at the parking plaza.