Tourist rush due to heatwave, summer holidays choking hills of Nainital
Heat wave sweeping across north India and children's summer holidays are driving a large number of people from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana to Nainital, leaving the lake city of Uttarakhand choked with traffic. To control the situation, the police are primarily allowing those to enter town who have prior hotel bookings while people are being sensitised to avoid taking cars to the hills and use shuttle available from parking spots.
The tourist rush last weekend forced the Nainital police to make an announcement about the town reaching its capacity, and asking people to go back home, a video of which is making rounds on social media.
'Nainital is full sir, please go back home,' a policeman was seen announcing at a parking spot at Naraiyan Nagar.
The residents say they were unable to venture out during the weekend, which was clubbed with the Id holiday which made large number of tourists visiting the town.
'It took me 2.5 hours to reach Tallital from mall road, which is not even 2 km distance,' said Kartikeya Hari Gupta, an advocate who practises at Uttarakhand (Nainital) High Court.
Hoteliers say the problem is not tourists, but their vehicles.
'Traffic choking Nainital is a story that repeats itself every year, still, the administration and the government hardly take any lessons. Worst is that the government has started advertising Kainchi Dhaam as a big religious pilgrimage in Nainital, which is already flooded with tourists due to its lakes and picturesque hills. That has added to the traffic woes as one has to wait for at least 2-3 hours in parking or in traffic due to temple rush,' said Praveen Sharma, member of the Uttarakhand hotel association.
He added that vehicular rush can be avoided in town if government runs buses or tempo travellers from Haldwani and nearby areas but all planning happens only on papers.
In the absence of public transport, tourists say they are left with no other option.
'I tried to book a Volvo from Haldwani to Nainital, but only a couple were available, that too in the night, while the train was taking me to Haldwani in the afternoon. Taxis charged heavily, and hence, cars are the only option left,' said Kanchan Singh, a teacher who travelled to Nainital from Noida.
Local media also reported about two deaths, allegedly took place due to traffic bottlenecks, making their vehicles stuck in jam for hours.
Jagdish Chandra, Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Nainital, refuted the claims of deaths taking place due to vehicles getting stuck in traffic but added that traffic situation is bad in the town due to tourist rush.
'It is also not totally true that we are not letting those to Nainital who don't have prior hotel bookings. The thing is that we have very limited space of parking. So, priority is being given to those who have bookings. Then we allow cars to go to town until parking is available. After that, we ask tourists to take shuttles and park on the outskirts,' he added.
He said traffic police had been deployed at all prominent spots to manage vehicular rush and personnel were sensitised to ensure that no ambulance or vehicle carrying patient got stuck in traffic.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
KSRTC moderates charges for charter services
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala state road transport corporation (KSRTC) introduced an affordable chartered bus service for weddings and private travel needs, using spare buses and optimising unused schedules. The initiative is part of a revenue-generation strategy as per transport minister's directive and aimed at reducing operational costs while maximising income. As per the new plan, KSRTC significantly slashed rates for chartered trips, categorising fares into four slabs —A, B, C and D— based on bus type and services. The revised tariffs apply across all classes, from ordinary buses to premium Volvo coaches. Many of these buses were made roadworthy after maintenance and repairs, enabling KSRTC to deploy them for private use. For example, a mini bus can now be hired for just Rs 3,500 (inclusive of GST) for a four-hour, 40-km round trip. Longer durations and distances are also covered in the pricing structure —8 hours (100km), 12 hours (150km) and 16 hours (200km)— with additional charges applicable per km depending on the class of bus. For ordinary buses, the revised base rate for four hours is Rs 3,600, a drastic drop from the earlier Rs 8,500. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dermatologist Says "No Lotion On Dark Spots! Use This Household Item Instead" Miami M.D. Undo The previous charges for other services were Rs 9,000 for Fast Passenger, Rs 9,500 for Super Fast, Rs 10,000 for Super Express and Rs 13,000 for Volvo, with additional GST. The new 40-km slab is calculated as a round trip distance and any additional km beyond this will be charged separately as per the respective category, along with GST. Those interested in chartered services can contact their nearest KSRTC depot.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Lord Jagannath windfall for buses on Digha route
Kolkata: There is a rush to visit the Lord Jagannath Temple in Digha, and the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) is enjoying every bit of it. The NBSTC claimed to have sold tickets worth around Rs 20 lakh in its first three weeks of introducing Volvo buses plying from six destinations in north Bengal and Malda to Digha via Kolkata. The service was inaugurated on May 28 by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. From then until June 11, there were 22 bus trips from Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Raiganj, and Malda. A total of 2,598 passengers boarded the Volvo buses, said NBSTC. "The Kolkata-Digha route is running at full capacity till Rath Yatra. Siliguri-Kolkata route also shows nearly full bookings. We found that NBSTC managed a profit of over Rs 3 lakh," said Dipankar Piplai, managing director, NBSTC. "We are planning ahead for the pujas and will offer discounts. But it will vary from week to week," said Piplai. The senior officers of NBSTC agreed that the success is largely due to tourists wishing to visit the new temple. "There is just one direct train to Digha from north Bengal. Since the hills began to witness the rain earlier than usual — and the state is gearing up for the first-ever Ratha Yatra from the new temple — it seems Digha is now the most preferred destination," said an official. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Pulakesh Majumdar from Siliguri said, "I booked tickets for my family last weekend. I found the journey to Digha smooth. On our way back, we are taking the Volvo bus from Kolkata again this Saturday," said Majumdar. "The temple has transformed Digha's tourism landscape," said Sunil Kumar Das, a transporter from Digha, adding, "the NBSTC's timing in launching these services couldn't have been better." Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- The Hindu
Tourist rush due to heatwave, summer holidays choking hills of Nainital
Heat wave sweeping across north India and children's summer holidays are driving a large number of people from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana to Nainital, leaving the lake city of Uttarakhand choked with traffic. To control the situation, the police are primarily allowing those to enter town who have prior hotel bookings while people are being sensitised to avoid taking cars to the hills and use shuttle available from parking spots. The tourist rush last weekend forced the Nainital police to make an announcement about the town reaching its capacity, and asking people to go back home, a video of which is making rounds on social media. 'Nainital is full sir, please go back home,' a policeman was seen announcing at a parking spot at Naraiyan Nagar. The residents say they were unable to venture out during the weekend, which was clubbed with the Id holiday which made large number of tourists visiting the town. 'It took me 2.5 hours to reach Tallital from mall road, which is not even 2 km distance,' said Kartikeya Hari Gupta, an advocate who practises at Uttarakhand (Nainital) High Court. Hoteliers say the problem is not tourists, but their vehicles. 'Traffic choking Nainital is a story that repeats itself every year, still, the administration and the government hardly take any lessons. Worst is that the government has started advertising Kainchi Dhaam as a big religious pilgrimage in Nainital, which is already flooded with tourists due to its lakes and picturesque hills. That has added to the traffic woes as one has to wait for at least 2-3 hours in parking or in traffic due to temple rush,' said Praveen Sharma, member of the Uttarakhand hotel association. He added that vehicular rush can be avoided in town if government runs buses or tempo travellers from Haldwani and nearby areas but all planning happens only on papers. In the absence of public transport, tourists say they are left with no other option. 'I tried to book a Volvo from Haldwani to Nainital, but only a couple were available, that too in the night, while the train was taking me to Haldwani in the afternoon. Taxis charged heavily, and hence, cars are the only option left,' said Kanchan Singh, a teacher who travelled to Nainital from Noida. Local media also reported about two deaths, allegedly took place due to traffic bottlenecks, making their vehicles stuck in jam for hours. Jagdish Chandra, Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Nainital, refuted the claims of deaths taking place due to vehicles getting stuck in traffic but added that traffic situation is bad in the town due to tourist rush. 'It is also not totally true that we are not letting those to Nainital who don't have prior hotel bookings. The thing is that we have very limited space of parking. So, priority is being given to those who have bookings. Then we allow cars to go to town until parking is available. After that, we ask tourists to take shuttles and park on the outskirts,' he added. He said traffic police had been deployed at all prominent spots to manage vehicular rush and personnel were sensitised to ensure that no ambulance or vehicle carrying patient got stuck in traffic.
