Manali, Dec. 18: Heavy tourist traffic combined with poor lane discipline brought movement to a halt on the Manali–Rohtang Pass road on Wednesday after authorities allowed four-wheel-drive vehicles to travel beyond Marhi for two days, officials and commuters said.
Vehicles remained stuck for hours at several points between Manali and Palchan, where damaged road stretches narrowed the carriageway and turned into choke points. The route connects the Solang side to the Atal Tunnel and leads toward Rohtang via Kothi.
Police said only 1,200 vehicles are permitted to cross the Gulaba barrier daily, but large numbers of tourist vehicles also converged near Gulaba and Sissu, worsening congestion.
“The problem is not just the number of vehicles but complete indiscipline,” said a tourist stranded in the jam. “Cars were parked anywhere, and lane jumping made it impossible for traffic to move.”
The Hadimba Temple Road, a major internal artery, saw severe congestion as drivers tried to bypass jams. Many diverted toward the Log Huts road, where illegal roadside parking left barely enough space for vehicles to pass, leading to delays of over 30 minutes at multiple spots.
Local residents said the situation has become routine during the tourist season. “Vehicles crawl here the entire day. This happens every year,” a resident said.
Manali DSP KD Sharma said traffic pressure has increased due to the holiday rush. “We are facing a shortage of manpower. Additional personnel are expected by Dec. 20,” he said, adding that requests have been made for three police reserve battalions and 100 Home Guards.
