Unleashed, traffic curbs at Tiger Hill ... PASSES FOR 300 TOURIST VEHICLES DAILY FROM TODAY

AVIJIT SINHA, TT, 01 Sep 2019, Siliguri: Darjeeling police started distributing passes from Saturday for vehicles that will ferry tourists to Tiger Hill, an initiative aimed at curbing the problem of traffic congestion plaguing the hill town and its vicinity.

"We have started distributing the passes to vehicle drivers and owners who intend to carry visitors to Tiger Hill. As we had said earlier, around 300 vehicles would be allowed in Tiger Hill on each day. This new system will be in force from September 1 and after 10 days, we will hold a review meeting," said Amarnath K, superintendent of police, Darjeeling.

Senior officials of the district police, who have taken the task to enforce a number of restrictions and regulations to reduce traffic congestion in the town, said the other decisions would also be implemented in due courses.

Among these include re- strictions in vehicular movement in some stretches, and dissuade vehicles from indiscriminately stopping along NH 55 -- the highway that connects Darjeeling -- and some other roads.

The police officials had even convened an open ses- sion with Darjeeling residents to discuss and come up with possible measures on the issue.

"Passes for Tiger Hill are free and will be handed over on a first-come, first-served basis. We will keep a watch at the location to find out the extent to which traffic congestion has been mitigated," said a police officer.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network (HHTDN), an organisation of stakeholders associated with travel trade, met the district police chief in Darjeeling on Saturday.

The organisation has already responded on the issue, and its members are apprehensive that such restriction in number of vehicles at Tiger Hill can affect tourist inflow to the region.

"We have articulated our concerns to the superintendent of police. He has spoken about a review meeting would be held after 10 days. Also, during the upcoming tourist season, there a plan to diversify the itinerary of tourists and take them to different places from where the Himalayan peaks can be seen so that huge number of vehicles does not congregate at Tiger Hill," said Sandeep Das, president, HHTDN.

He also mentioned that there will be an impetus to project alternative destinations to tourists, thousands of whom are expected to flock in the hills during the ensuing Durga Puja and Diwali holidays..