Shimla Deploys Three Hundred Cops To Manage Seasonal Apple Transportation Traffic

Shimla: In a bid to ensure the smooth transportation of the seasonal apple harvest while keeping city traffic flowing, the Shimla Police has implemented a comprehensive traffic management plan. Spurred by the onset of the peak apple harvesting season, the district administration has announced the strategic deployment of 300 police personnel to regulate heavy vehicle movement and maintain law and order across crucial transport corridors in the district.

Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh stated that the plan, designed in coordination with the district administration and key departments, accounts for monsoon-related challenges such as sudden landslides, road blockages, and high traffic volume. To facilitate the hassle-free movement of apple-laden trucks and avoid congestion on narrow hill roads, key police checkpoints and barriers have been established at high-traffic zones. These locations include Bhattakufer (Dhalli Fruit Market), Shoghi, Mehli, Bekhalty, Charabra, and the Mashobra bifurcation. Notably, the checkpoints at Shoghi and Charabra will remain functional 24 hours a day.

To minimize bottlenecks inside the capital, heavy trailers carrying apples will be restricted from using the Theog-Shimla route between 5:00 AM and 8:30 PM. Instead, these heavy vehicles are being diverted along the Dhalli-Mehli-Shoghi bypass. Parking has also been strictly prohibited along the stretch from Dhalli Chowk to Bhattakufer, with designated holding zones set up on the Dhalli-Fagu route for waiting trucks. Similar dedicated holding areas, control rooms, and alternative routes have been activated in major apple-growing pockets like Theog, Rampur, Rohru, and Chopal. Police headquarters has additionally provided seven reserve battalions to assist local stations, ensuring that local farmers can get their produce to markets without delay.