Shimla, September 11 — The Himachal Pradesh High Court has warned that Shimla is losing its traditional walking culture of “umbrella and jacket,” with traffic now plying on sealed roads much like in Mussoorie. The court said Old Shimla’s charm was fading and stressed the need for its restoration.
A division bench of Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma made the observation while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on hygiene and traffic management in the hill town. Expanding the scope of the PIL, the bench directed the state Home Secretary to file a report specifying the number of sealed-road passes issued, the rates charged, the purpose of their use, and the categories of persons to whom they were granted.
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Shimla, was also ordered to submit a detailed status report. The case will be heard again on October 10.
The PIL was originally filed to highlight unhygienic conditions on the road from ARTRAC to Ram Bazar and the lack of parking guidelines for two-wheelers. Photographs submitted in court showed garbage heaps behind vehicles, poor cleanliness, and traffic blockages due to haphazard parking, causing inconvenience to pedestrians.
The bench noted the issues were not confined to one stretch. It observed that sealed areas of Mall Road, particularly from Rock Sea Hotel to Willow Bank, were facing problems as vehicles were being parked overnight under the guise of “drop-off passes.”
The court further pointed out that the road from Shilli Chowk/Shimla Club to Chhota Shimla Chowk—designated as a sealed route—was witnessing heavy vehicular presence. It said the problem stemmed from the indiscriminate issuance of passes, eroding restrictions meant to preserve the city’s pedestrian-friendly character.
