Summer vacations on, and the mountains are calling. And for those heading north, starting June 4, getting from Chandigarh to Shimla will be a lark. Henceforth, dreadful serpentine traffic jams on a bad day can be avoided on select days. The 120 km road trip from Chandigarh to Shimla takes almost four hours and can now be alternated with a half an hour long Pawan Hans chopper heli-taxi service ride. There’s also the flight from Delhi to Shimla that operates in the morning.
The Pawan Hans chopper heli taxi service details are as follows Flight No PH002 operates from Chandigarh Airport to Shimla Airport on Monday and Friday. Departure at 09:00 and Arrival at 09:30. The adult and child fare single ticket costs Rs 2,999 ( Fare – 2875 + GST – 124). Infants upto 2 years must be booked on the heli taxi service and get a free pass. Flight No PH001 departs from Shimla Airport at 08:00 to reach Chandigarh at 08:30 on the same days.
For the Shimla helicopter service to come into effect, government of Himachal Pradesh and Pawan Hans are working together. The helicopters in use are 20-seater choppers being specifically deployed to add a shot in the arm for this particular tourism route.
With an increasing number in footfalls in the region each year, whether to visit Himachal or proceed by road to Ladakh, the newest transport alternative could be well suited for those headed to Shimla.
And for those visiting Shimla this week, let’s be a little courteous to residents who are dealing with a water crisis. As with hotels, until a time permissible, the water taps wont dry up so as to not effect tourism revenue in any way, but ground reality is quite different at the moment, and foresee-ably until monsoon kicks in.
There are currently no circulars for hotel guests and tourists to save on water. If current trends continue, it won’t be long before water shortages become a mainstay.
Water Crisis in Shimla
Posted by Manish Saklani on Tuesday, 29 May 2018
