The Himachal Pradesh High Court has expressed concern over the worsening traffic and parking situation in Shimla, lamenting that the town is losing its traditional culture of “walking with umbrella and jacket,” once likened to Mussoorie.
A division bench of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), directed the state home secretary and the superintendent of police, Shimla, to file a detailed status report on the issuance of vehicle passes for sealed roads. The court also asked the officials to specify the criteria and categories of pass holders.
The bench noted that a large number of vehicle passes have been issued for the sealed stretch from Shilli Chowk/Shimla Club to Chhotta Shimla, making pedestrian movement difficult. Expanding the scope of the PIL, the court also highlighted that vehicles were being parked along the restricted portion of the Mall Road, from Rock Sea Hotel to Willow Bank.
“Even if permission is granted for vehicles for drop-off and if passes are there, there is no question that such permission can be utilised for parking the vehicles overnight. It can only be treated as a drop zone at the maximum,” the court observed.
The PIL, filed by Sambhav Bhasin, initially sought directions for cleanliness and hygiene, including removal of garbage from the stretch between the Army Training Command and Ram Bazar, and guidelines for two-wheeler parking.
The bench noted that photographs annexed to the petition showed a “dismal state of affairs,” with two-wheelers and four-wheelers blocking pedestrian pathways and garbage piling up behind them.
The High Court observed that the situation pointed to a “lack of exercise of adequate powers by the municipal corporation.” The matter has been listed for further hearing on October 10.
