Daily Times

Snowfall continues in Murree Hill station and the number of tourists has increased significantly to enjoy the cold weather on the weekend.

The district administration has once again decided to stop tourists at the Satra Meel point.

The decision to stop the entry of tourists to Murree was taken due to an increase in the rush.

If the rush decreases, more tourists will be allowed to enter Murree, the administration said.

The district administration urged the citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and adopt precautionary measures during snowfall to avoid any untoward incident

Tourists visiting Murree to enjoy snowfall have been urged to strictly abide by traffic rules to avoid traffic congestion and road mishaps at the hill station.

According to a City Traffic Police (CTP) spokesperson, their department had already finalized all the arrangements to ensure the security of the visitors, particularly during snowfall.

He informed them that Rawalpindi City Traffic Officer Taimoor Khan had requested that the tourists observe traffic rules on the roads of Murree to avoid traffic mess and any untoward incidents during the winter season.

Special teams had been formed to facilitate the tourists and resolve their problems, if any, in Murree, he said, adding that parking vehicles outside parking areas were prohibited.

“There was a complete ban on illegal parking on the roads in Murree, particularly at exit and entry points,” he added.

The spokesperson informed us that parking was not allowed on roads except at designated parking places.

He informed me that CTP had issued an advisory for the visitors heading towards the hill station, Murree, to enjoy snowfall.

On the directive of City Traffic Officer (CTO) Rawalpindi, Taimoor Khan, the police devised a comprehensive plan to facilitate the tourists heading towards the ‘Queen of Hills Murree’ for spending recreational time with their families and friends in the chilly weather.

He said the CTP had deployed senior traffic officers to monitor traffic arrangements in the hill station to ensure smooth and safe traffic flow during the snowfall.

A special traffic control room with landline number 051-9269200 had also been set up where the citizens could call around the clock for any kind of help, he added.

He further said the control room would organize all possible facilities for the tourists and make arrangements for handling any emergency.

The spokesman informed us that they had increased the number of traffic wardens, junior traffic wardens, under the supervision of inspectors, who were deployed at all key points of the hill station.

Moreover, they have designated several points for car parking. A number of main roads, including Kashmir Point, Mall Road, Guldana Road, and others, had been closed for two-way traffic to ease traffic flow.

He said though the snow blanket made the “Queen of Mountains” even more beautiful, which attracted a large number of tourists, motorists could face traffic congestion due to slippery roads and traffic congestion.

The snowfall attracts thousands of tourists to these scenic sites, which results in an extra traffic load on the roads, choking almost every artery linking Rawalpindi-Islamabad to these hilly spots.

Due to the huge influx of tourists towards Murree, the administration and CTP have issued an advisory here that appeals to the citizens to use their own line and avoid using the dual line as preventive measures.

According to the advisory, tourists are requested to use petrol-based vehicles and strictly prohibited from using CNG-based vehicles, which may cause problems in cars due to the extreme cold in the snow.

In the advisory, families with infants and asthma patients are also advised to avoid traveling to Murree.

It also asked the tourists to strictly follow one way and don’t violate it for the smooth run of traffic.

He requested that the tourists follow the advisory to avoid any kind of inconvenience or incident and have safe tourism.