Tourist influx, entry of e-rickshaws in zero zone cause traffic jam in Rishikesh

Rishikesh: An influx of tourists and e-rickshaws plying in the zero zone here led to a massive traffic jam here for the second consecutive day on Saturday, causing inconvenience to people.

No vehicles are allowed in the nearly one-kilometre-long zero zone which stretches from the municipality building to the Chandrabhaga bridge.

The town witnessed similar scenes on Friday as the long weekend began but the situation is worse today, said a shopkeeper in the Lakshman Jhoola area.

The entry of e-rickshaws in the zero zone was prohibited after a meeting of the administration and transport department on Thursday.

However, as droves of tourists arrived here, around 1,500 e-rickshaws entered the zero zone on Saturday, causing a traffic jam from Rishikesh to Shivpuri.

The impact was also seen in Neelkanth and Lakshman Jhula areas with vehicles moving at a snail's pace.

Superintendent of Police, Dehradun (Rural), Kamlesh Upadhyay said the ban on the entry of e-rickshaws in the zero zone will be strictly enforced.

E-rickshaw operators who violate the ban will be fined, she said.

"We fined 35 e-rickshaw drivers on Friday for entering the zero zone. They will be fined again today if they flout the ban," she said.

A tourist from Uttar Pradesh's Noida said he and his family had to face a lot of inconvenience due to the traffic jam.