Traffic is crawling — as has been the new normal during tourist seasons in Darjeeling — but plans to ease traffic by constructing alternative routes are yet to gather pace.
On Friday afternoon, travellers had to spend around 2.5 hours just to cover an 8km stretch from Ghoom to Darjeeling town.
Roads leading from Siliguri, Kalimpong/Gangtok, Mungpoo and its adjoining areas and Mirik converge in Ghoom from where NH110, also known as Hill Cart Road, goes to Darjeeling.
This stretch is prone to traffic jams during tourist season.
Sources said that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) had submitted proposals to construct two alternative routes to the Ghoom-Darjeeling stretch.
The proposal includes creating a 35km-long alternative route from Darjeeling that will start at Lebong and end at Teesta Bazar. Lebong is at the opposite end of Jorebunglow.
The other proposal is to complete the construction of 13km-stretch from Lebong to 3rd Mile via Pandam and Rangaroon tea gardens.
Sources said the Bengal government had in principle agreed to the Lebong-Teesta road construction in May last year.
“On June 3 last year, the GTA also wrote to the secretary of the public works department (PWD) to take over the construction of a circular road from Lebong to 3rd Mile via Pandam tea garden,” said a source.
The GTA has taken up the construction of the 13km stretch from Lebong to 3rd Mile via Pandam and Rangaroon tea gardens. “The GTA has requested the government to take up the balance work,” said a GTA source.
These two routes would also provide an alternative route to people travelling to Kalimpong, Gangtok, Takdah, Lopchu and Peshok, among other places, which could reduce traffic flow through the Hill Cart Road by at least
30 per cent.
GTA chief executive Anit Thapa told The Telegraph that the hill body had come up with proposals to ease traffic in town. “Concerning the Lebong-Teesta route, the survey has started,” said Thapa.
The GTA head, however, said it would take time for the project to be completed.
“Since this project includes the construction of a new road, there are issues like finding the right alignment, granting compensation to land losers and also mobilising funds for construction. It will take some time,” said Thapa.
The GTA chief executive added that the project to create a circular road from Lebong to 3rd Mile was awaiting financial approval.
“We are hopeful that this project will be undertaken soon,” said Thapa.
Many residents believe that Darjeeling cannot take more traffic volume, given the present infrastructure.
“Of late, people are travelling to the hills, driving their vehicles. A lot of tourists from Bihar and Jharkhand are driving their vehicles to Darjeeling these days,” said a hotelier.