Palampur struggles with traffic mess

Despite a massive increase in the number of vehicles in Palampur, efforts to expand the town’s narrow roads have been largely absent, causing severe traffic congestion. Peak hours see routine jams in areas such as Ghuggar, Plaza Market and the Gurdwara road, with around 4,000 new vehicles reportedly joining the town’s traffic every month.

The shortage of parking spaces exacerbates the problem; currently, Palampur has designated parking for only 50 vehicles. Although a multi-storey parking project was proposed over a decade ago, it remains incomplete due to delays in funding from the Asian Development Bank. Both former Chief Ministers Prem Kumar Dhumal (in 2009) and Virbhadra Singh (in 2015) laid foundation stones for the project, yet progress remains stalled.

In the absence of adequate parking, drivers often resort to leaving vehicles in no-parking zones, intensifying congestion. Though the administration proposed three additional parking lots, construction work has yet to begin. Weekends bring a surge of tourists to Palampur and nearby areas like Baijnath and Gopalpur, further crowding streets as visitors have no designated parking options and are forced to park along the roadside. The situation is compounded by the town’s two-dozen banks, which lack dedicated parking, forcing customers to park on roads where parking is restricted.

The Mandi-Pathankot National Highway, a narrow route that passes through Palampur, is also frequently clogged. Local authorities have deployed over 10 traffic constables to help manage the situation, but conditions remain far from satisfactory. Key traffic hotspots, including Ghuggar, Santoshi Mata Mandir and Plaza Market, experience routine gridlocks. Deputy Superintendent of Police Lokinder Negi acknowledges the administration’s concerns, attributing ongoing issues to haphazard parking and the lack of wider roads. However, without prompt action, traffic woes in Palampur are likely to worsen.