Tourists may soon have to pre-register Mussoorie trip; plan to tackle overcrowding, traffic in peak season | Dehradun News

DEHRADUN: Authorities are planning to launch a pre-registration system for tourists visiting Mussoorie during peak travel seasons to tackle overcrowding and manage traffic after footfall doubled between 2022 and 2024. Tourists who fail to register may be denied entry at key checkpoints under the proposed system. More than 21 lakh visitors had reached the hill town in 2024, up from over 11 lakh in 2022, officials said.Secretary (tourism) Dhiraj Singh Garbyal told TOI the first step would be to estimate the number of tourists and vehicles arriving during peak periods — summer and winter holidays and long weekends — by installing cameras at three entry points: Kimadi, Kempty Fall and Kuthal gate. “The problem of overcrowding and long traffic jams is only during the peak season, so there’s no point having a year-round pre-registration system. Our teams are working on introducing the concept during those times,” he said.Long traffic jams of several hours have become a frequent problem during tourist weekends, especially from Gandhi Chowk to Mall Road. In June this year, a Delhi tourist died after being stuck in congestion and failing to reach hospital care.The proposed registration form would collect details like number of tourists, contact and vehicle numbers, tour duration and accommodation. Garbyal added that tourism department officials met stakeholders on Friday and discussed key aspects of the plan. “Through this exercise, we intend to study, assess the situation and then take effective steps like pre-registration or having one-way roads for entry and exit,” he said.The online registration will be OTP-based. Indian tourists will get their OTP on their phones, while foreigners will receive it by email. Once completed, the registration will generate a QR code. Vehicles entering Mussoorie will be screened through Automated Number Plate Recognition systems, and tourists without a valid QR code may be turned away at the entry points.The tourism department also plans to install Automated Number Plate Recognition systems at the three identified entry points. The QR codes will be verified by staff before allowing entry.Officials have also halted construction on Mall Road after a court order, citing concerns that ongoing work may worsen traffic congestion. Sandeep Sahni, president of Mussoorie Hotel Association, and others present at the meeting, raised concerns over the recurring problem.