Murree Breaks Tourism Records, Avoids Major Incidents

Khuram Shahzad

Murree: A record surge in tourist traffic tested Murree’s roads and security arrangements this summer, but authorities say a data-driven policing strategy helped manage millions of visitors without any major untoward incident.

During the first seven months of the year, more than 2.42 million vehicles entered the hill station, bringing millions of tourists to one of Pakistan’s busiest mountain destinations. Despite the heavy influx, Murree Police reported maintaining public safety and smooth traffic movement through enhanced monitoring and targeted deployments.

According to an analytical report submitted by District Police Officer (DPO) Murree Dr Muhammad Raza Tanveer to the Punjab Inspector General of Police, July witnessed the highest tourist activity, with 556,679 vehicles entering Murree city and 455,771 vehicles leaving during the month.

The Intelligence Traffic Management System (ITMS) data showed a significant rise in tourist movement as summer vacations brought increased pressure on the city’s roads. Combined entry and exit movements crossed one million during July at district and city monitoring points.

The traffic trend reflected a gradual increase throughout the year, with vehicle entries rising from 327,944 in January to a peak of 556,679 in July as the summer tourism season reached its height.

Officials said the challenge was not only handling the growing number of vehicles but also preventing congestion, maintaining law and order and ensuring visitor safety in a limited mountain road network.

DPO Murree Dr Muhammad Raza Tanveer said the police had introduced a two-layer monitoring system to manage tourist movement. Under the plan, entry points at the district level were monitored to control traffic flow before roads became overcrowded, while special deployments were placed at busy locations including Mall Road approaches, major intersections and parking areas.

He said technology-based monitoring and smart policing measures allowed authorities to respond quickly to changing traffic conditions and manage pressure during peak tourism days.

With Murree remaining a top tourist destination throughout the year, police officials said similar arrangements would continue during future holidays and peak seasons to ensure safer travel and better management of visitor flows.

The experience, officials said, highlights the growing need for technology-driven solutions to manage tourism in Pakistan’s popular hill stations where visitor numbers continue to rise each year.