If you are planning to go to Leh Ladakh from Manali in 2019, make sure you cross Rohtang pass before noon as Kullu administration has decided to set up a one-directional traffic system on Manali-Rohtang highway from May onwards. This post is to help tourists with the Rohtang pass timing system.
In an effort to combat one of the worst traffic jams on the hill roads of the world, Kullu administration will start a timing system for better traffic management. Manali-Rohtang road is expected to open in May while Manali-Leh road may take little more time to open. Once Marhi and Rohtang pass are open to tourist vehicles, timing system and one-way traffic shall come into force.
Huge crowd chokes the whole highway especially in May and June, the peak tourist season. Officials said they are planning to allow vehicles going beyond Rohtang pass (Ladakh, Lahaul-Spiti, and Pangi) in the early hours and then they will send Rohtang pass bound vehicles. The cops have been asked to enforce the Rohtang pass timing system strictly.
Kullu deputy commissioner Yunus, while holding a meeting with officials of all the departments, associations and stakeholders prior to the start of peak tourist season, said vehicles going to Rohtang, Lahaul-Spiti, Pangi and Ladakh would be allowed to go till noon after which entry from Manali side would be restricted completely.
“Once all vehicles reach Rohtang (or cross Rohtang), the vehicles coming from the opposite side would be allowed to come towards Manali. This will probably end all traffic bottlenecks and traffic will move smoothly. The restriction would not be applied in emergency vehicles like ambulance,” he said.
Highway connecting Manali town will also be made one-way during the summer season. The DC said vehicles entering Manali town will have to take another route for exit.
“We are planning to let vehicles enter town from new bypass (four-lane) road and exit them from old road. We shall keep a close watch on vehicles jumping the queues. Overtaking would not be tolerated. If any vehicle is found breaking the queue in case of jam or slow traffic, it would be impounded,” he added.
Talking about the compliance of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order on Rohtang pass, Yunus said the permit would be issued only to 1,300 vehicles to go to Rohtang pass for tourism purposes. Besides this quota, vehicles going to Lahaul-Spiti or Leh Ladakh would not be allowed to come back from Rohtang.
Vehicles violating the rules would be fined with Rs 5,000 and can be impounded. We have improved the online permit booking website and mobile app. Permit to Ladakh and Lahaul-Spiti would also be available online. If people going to Ladakh have trouble in obtaining the online permit, we will work on other options as well,” he added.
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Kullu SP Shalini Agnihotri said the number of police personnel required to regulate traffic and to check law and order would be less due to election and she requested hoteliers, taxi operators and locals to cooperate with police. However, Manali SDM Ashwani Kumar said volunteers can come forward to help police in traffic management and sensitizing tourists at Rohtang pass.
The rise in temperature is forcing people to rush to the hill stations. Lakhs of tourists will head to Manali, Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh, particularly snow points of Rohtang, to get some respite from scorching heat.
To prevent thousands of vehicles from choking the narrow road to Rohtang, Kullu administration has decided to make the Rohtang highway one way and to impose Rohtang pass timing system. Multiple barriers would be established along Manali-Rohtang highway to confirm that tourists having permit to visit Ladakh and other places beyond Rohtang are not misusing the permit.
Stakeholders also gave some valuable suggestions to improve local infrastructure and also complained about the problems that tourists are facing. It was discussed that tourists would be encouraged to hand over the waste to their driver who will keep it in the trash bag and will deposit it to the responsible authority in Manali.
A sewage treatment plant would be built at Marhi near Rohtang pass. Till then, mobile toilets would be stationed at major tourist places.
Manali-Leh jeep safari, bike tours start in mid-June. Thousands of tourists visit Ladakh from Manali side. All taxis from Manali to Leh will also need to obtain a permit to cross Rohtang pass. We shall soon update the exact timing when vehicles to Ladakh would be allowed from Manali side. The traffic to Rohtang and Ladakh would be regulated at the Gulaba barrier where permits are checked.
If there is any change in the Rohtang pass timing system in the future, we shall keep you updated.
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