With 13.4 Lakh Registered Vehicles as of June 2025 and 34% Drop in Dedicated Traffic Police Personnel in last Eight Years in Dehradun District, Citizen Partnership Model Proposed for Dehradun
Dehradun:
Dehradun-based social activist Anoop Nautiyal has written a detailed letter to Deepam Seth, Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, urging the creation of a structured Citizen Traffic Volunteer Force to address the rapidly worsening traffic situation in Dehradun.
In the letter, he has described the capital city of Dehradun as being under unprecedented traffic pressure due to rapid and unplanned urban expansion, increasing private vehicle registrations, inadequate public transport systems, expanding residential and commercial zones, widespread encroachments, frequent road digging, non-functional traffic lights, rising tourism load, VIP movements and frequent demonstrations and rallies.
He has underlined that traffic congestion in Dehradun is no longer merely an inconvenience but a serious governance challenge with implications for mental health, public safety, emergency response times, environmental stress and loss of economic productivity.
He added that during the peak tourist weekends, long snarls form across key corridors and intersections remain unmanaged for extended periods, making it extremely difficult for people, ambulances and emergency services to move freely. In a tourism-dependent state like Uttarakhand, such experiences directly impact the perception and image of the city and the state.
The letter draws attention to alarming data points. Citing media reports based on statements from senior police officers from November 2025, Anoop Nautiyal has highlighted that the available traffic police strength in Dehradun district has declined from 411 personnel in 2017 to 269 at present, reflecting a 34 percent reduction in eight years. This decline, he points out, has occurred at a time when vehicle registrations have increased sharply.
Based on information obtained through an RTI application, a total of 13,42,528 vehicles were registered till June 2025 in the RTO offices of Dehradun, Rishikesh and Vikasnagar, with 10,66,786 vehicles in Dehradun alone, 2,02,055 in Rishikesh and 73,687 in Vikasnagar. It is also worth mentioning that of the total 37,48,105 vehicles registered across the 13 districts of Uttarakhand till June 2025; 13,42,528 or 36% were registered in Dehradun district alone.
On a broad calculation, this means that one dedicated traffic police personnel is effectively responsible for managing nearly 5,000 vehicles in the district. While acknowledging that traffic police are supported by Home Guards, PRD and local police stations; Anoop described the shrinking dedicated traffic police strength as a serious structural concern, especially with the Char Dham Yatra and summer tourist season expected to intensify vehicular inflow.
In his letter, Anoop Nautiyal has proposed a citizen-centric solution in the form of a structured and supervised volunteer mechanism titled “Uttarakhand Traffic Sarthi.”
He has suggested that willing citizens could be registered, verified and provided basic training in traffic management protocols, and deployed during peak months such as April, May and June strictly under the command and supervision of traffic police officers. The volunteers, he clarified, would not replace law enforcement but act as force multipliers by assisting with pedestrian guidance, queue management and basic traffic flow support at busy intersections.
Speaking on the issue, Anoop Nautiyal said, “The data and ground realities clearly shows that traffic load is surging while the dedicated traffic police force has reduced significantly over the past eight years. With over 13.4 lakh registered vehicles in the district of Dehradun and only 269 dedicated police traffic personnel, the pressure on the system is enormous.”
He further added, “If citizens are willing to contribute their time and energy under official supervision, the administration should create a disciplined institutional framework to channel that willingness. I am personally prepared to volunteer one full day each in April, May and June 2026 for eight hours a day under police supervision. Governance becomes stronger when citizens step forward responsibly.”
Anoop Nautiyal has also appealed to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to personally intervene to review the traffic crisis in Dehradun and across Uttarakhand. He has urged the State Government to immediately examine measures to strengthen and support the Uttarakhand Police with adequate manpower, infrastructure and logistical resources in view of the upcoming Char Dham Yatra and rising tourism flow. In a rapidly expanding state, he emphasized, police capacity must grow in proportion to ground realities.
He further stated that it is neither fair nor sustainable to place mounting pressure on the police force without equipping them with sufficient personnel, modern tools and operational support. Expecting effective traffic and law-and-order management amid surging vehicles, VIP movements and public events without adequate strengthening places unreasonable strain on field personnel. If Uttarakhand seeks orderly growth and safe mobility, the State Government must prioritise immediate institutional reinforcement of the police force.
As a constructive suggestion, Anoop Nautiyal had recently written to Chief Minister Dhami urging the creation of an Uttarakhand Commission for Traffic Management and consider the implementation of a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) system for traffic management. He added that he is yet to hear from the CM Office.
The letter concludes with an appeal to the DGP to consider piloting such a collaborative model during the upcoming high-traffic season, emphasising that participatory approaches can strengthen manpower efficiency, improve public ownership of traffic discipline and transform public frustration into constructive public partnership.
