Keeping in view the ongoing Christmas and New Year season, the Shimla district administration, along with other agencies, is making elaborate arrangements for the convenience of tourists.

The authorities have prepared a plan for parking in real-time management to aid the vehicular traffic to keep the roads decongested.

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The administration is also deploying taxis to help the people commute from Tutikandi, Kaithu, Kachighatti, and Old Bus Stand to AG Chowk and Mall Road.

Tourists are advised to use HRTC buses for Kufri and have been requested not to use their personal vehicles during snow.

The HP Police have deployed 600 cops for Christmas and an additional 200 personnel for the New Year.

Special teams have been formed to keep a check on suspicious vehicles entering the Shimla city. They would also conduct drives to check drunken driving.

“The major challenge that the security personnel face is of weather. But the weather is predicted to be in our favour,” Additional Superintendent of Police Man Mohan Singh told The Statesman.

Other challenges include keeping track of crowd, eve-teasing, hooliganism etc., for which they are fully prepared.

The police will not just secure and assist the public but will be people friendly. The teams are urged to be polite and firm with public, show directions, and guide them to ensure that tourism is not hampered in any way, he added.

The administration has directed the hoteliers to display the rate lists and licenses at their reception counters. In addition, regular inspections of hotels will also be carried out to check over-charging etc.

A special advisory has been issued to the hotel industry to keep their provisions well-stocked for the coming tourist season and in case of heavy snowfall, all facilities and basic amenities should be available to the tourists.

Besides this, all the tourist information offices located in the city will remain open from 9 am to 8 pm every day.

For complaints and enquiries, tourists can contact any tourist information centre at 0177-2832498, 2654589, 2652561 or over the Helpline no. 1800 8333 010.