Himachal Pradesh has started Traffic-cum-Tourist Police Stations (TTPS) to provide a smooth and secure transportation environment to tourists entering the hill state through Chandigarh-Manali National Highway.
As of now, Himachal Pradesh Police have set up three TTPS in Baghed of Bilaspur, Nerchowk in Mandi and Bhunter in Kullu.
The TTPS staff will facilitate tourists, handle traffic congestion, conduct investigations and perform rescue during road accidents, and make necessary interventions through data analysis.
The three TTPS have been functioning on the Kiratpur-Manali National Highway running through Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu.
With the increasing influx of visitors, the need for specialised assistance in managing traffic and ensuring a smooth travel experience has become paramount in the state. The Atal Tunnel, Rohtang, spanning 9.2 kms and acclaimed as the world’s longest at an elevation of 10,000 feet, saw a huge surge in visitor numbers. Approximately 65,000 tourists visited the Tunnel with more than 12,000 vehicles to celebrate Christmas Eve and the New Year, 2024
As many as 99,78,504 domestic and 28,239 foreign tourists visited the hill state till June 2023.
The police personnel with TTPS will be deployed enroute at tourist attractions or spots prone to overcrowding, especially during tourist season, bus terminals, religious places and shopping areas on need basis. Mobile patrolling will be ensured to check incidents of road rage and hooliganism. In case of violations found during the patrol, the same will be communicated to the Officer-in-Charge of the police station concerned for timely action.
The other duties of staff at TTPS include obtaining information about the people addicted to crime at tourist hotspots and to maintain adequate supervision over them. They will make sure that all cognisable crimes are registered.
They will take charge of the kiosks, which act as reporting points for tourists in case of any security breach or for availing any similar kind of police services. The TTPS staff will also act on touts, beggars and hawkers in the area concerned .
Imparting information to tourists about locations, transport systems, facilities at the destinations, legal information, information about authorised shopping centres and medical help in case of physical assault, are also among the duties of the personnel.
The TTPS will also intervene in case the tourists are involved in drug trafficking and consumption. They will assist tourists to deal with foreign currency exchange and guide them to the authorised exchange counters and banks.
There are immigration issues for foreigners too. The TTPS personnel will deal with such issues, and coordinate with Foreigners Regional Registration Officers (FRROs) at entry/exit points.