With more than 40 thousand vehicles expected in Gelephu for the 108 Jangchub Chortens event, the police are stepping up traffic management. Staggered travel schedules, designated parking and free shuttle services aim to ease congestion and help visitors move around safely.
Gelephu’s roads are getting busier. Traffic police are monitoring vehicles as the town prepares for the 108 Jangchub Chortens event. With about 40,300 vehicles expected, police are preparing for the rush, starting with the journey to Gelephu.
The response begins before visitors reach Gelephu. From Sunday, police will step up highway monitoring, using speed detectors, body cameras and number plate recognition systems.
Two days later, travellers will be expected to follow departure schedules based on where they are coming from. The aim is to spread arrivals and avoid a rush on the roads.
Colonel Chogyel Drukpa, Media Focal for the 108 Stupa Project at the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), said: “We are requesting the public to travel in the vehicle movement schedule that we have posted on our RBP Facebook page. Out there what we have is we have mentioned various locations and time it takes to reach Gelephu from there, and the window time for the travelers to start their journey. That is planned because we do not want vehicles coming in from all the different places here on the same time.”
Once visitors reach Gelephu, the next challenge is keeping private vehicles out of the town centre. Police will direct vehicles to designated parking areas. From there, visitors can take free buses and taxis to the event and around town.
About 1,800 taxis and 122 buses have registered to provide transport services from October 29 to November 4.
Colonel Chogyel Drukpa added, “GMCA has already planned this color coding and at the time of the registration, attendees are being provided with colors. On the main day, we will have designated parking areas that will also serve as pick-up and drop-off points for buses and taxis. Police, traffic officials and De-suups will be stationed at these points to organise the crowds and help people board the vehicles. We will also inform attendees which Zeerays they should go to and allocate passengers to buses according to their designated Zeerays.”
RBP is requesting travellers to avoid the Gelephu–Tsirang highway on October 30 and 31, where possible, and consider alternative routes.
Besides the three-entry point to Gelephu, RBP has also coordinated with its Indian counterparts to open an additional route from the Bishmuri area, connecting to Sarpang. It will give travellers from the Samtse and Phuentsholing side who are staying in Sarpang, Dekiling and nearby areas an alternative.
Meanwhile, RBP has clarified that private vehicles will be restricted within Gelephu, but people can leave the town at any time during the event.
Police have also clarified that travellers do not need a separate CPMS registration for Project 108. They must, however, register through the existing system at immigration checkpoints where one is in place.
Beyond traffic control, emergency teams will be stationed at key locations. Authorities will deploy fire engines and firefighting personnel, and position search-and-rescue teams along major highways.
For visitors, the message is simple: plan your journey, follow your travel schedule and park where directed. Free buses and taxis will help you get around, while emergency teams remain on standby. With thousands of vehicles expected, public cooperation will be key to keeping Gelephu moving safely.
Passang Dorji/Karma Wangdi, Gelephu
