A Question of Pedestrians' Rights

Wearing a rugged jacket, a traditional Himachal cap marking his roots, and a bag slung casually over his shoulder carrying a few essentials, particularly notable among them an umbrella—a vignette of Shimla's walking culture, Ishwar Verma, 74, a retired Deputy Controller of Himachal Pradesh University, is a familiar face on the mall during morning walks. As the day begins, one can spot a few more unmissable walking legends such notably Rati Ram Verma, the 90-plus retired Director General of Police who also sports an umbrella and a traditional Pahari cap; V.P. Mohan, a former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests; and Chetan Singh, former Director, Institute of Advanced Study.

B.S. Malhans, a noted conservationist who has since moved to Chandigarh, was once a familiar figure on Shimla streets, strolling in his soberly stitched “sadri” (jacket) and long umbrella—a badge of the town’s gentle pace of life.

The number grows as one counts veterans—retired professionals, teachers, doctors, public servants, army, police, civilians, and prominent citizens—all icons reminding one of an era when no vehicles were allowed to invade the sanctity of the mall and its connected stretches, the city’s core.

Things have drastically changed, and there are fears they could deteriorate further. The pedestrian-friendly environment is the biggest casualty.

Early this month, when the Himachal Pradesh High Court raised its concern about Shimla town fast losing its enduring culture of walking with “umbrella and jacket,” many agreed with the sentiment that Shimla’s old-world pedestrians' grace has been rudely compromised.

The High Court bench of Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma, while hearing a PIL, took note of Shimla’s worsening state, its crumbling civic amenities, vehicular congestion, chaotic traffic and haphazard parking, which make citizens face daily ordeals. The bench, visibly upset with the prevailing environment and issues such as the increased number of vehicles on the sealed road, observed that Shimla is losing its charm and the culture of walking with an "umbrella and jacket."

Now, the town is being pushed to the same stage as Mussoorie, with traffic creeping even onto sealed roads. Therefore, there is an urgent, almost desperate call to reclaim Shimla’s fading charm. The Court directed the state’s Home Secretary and Shimla SSP to file a status report that should detail the number of sealed-road passes issued, the rates charged, their purpose, and the categories of persons to whom these were issued.

Sambhav Bhasin, the petitioner in the case, had drawn the High Court's attention to the issue of garbage management in the town and cleanliness on the public roads. He had raised concerns about haphazard parking as well as the two-wheelers.

The question here is: Does the heart of Shimla, where pedestrians’ rights are well defined, belong to the walkers or the wheels?

“I remember the time when we used to be scolded by city veterans like Rakeshwar Lall Sood, a close relative, for venturing on the Mall with chappals. The Mall had such a sacred reputation that it was washed down at least once a day during the British era."

There was a time when children walked to school—climbing from Annandale to Jakhu or trudging up from the lower slopes to Lakkar Bazar, their chatter filling the crisp morning air. Now, Sood laments, those scenes have vanished, replaced by snaking rows of honking vehicles racing through Shimla’s narrow roads to drop children at their classes.

The children going to school were used to climbing the pedestrian paths from Annandale to Jakhu or trekking from the downhill Shimla localities to Lakkar Bazar. Sood says, “Those scenes have totally vanished. Now, morning hours can shock everyone, with the long rows of honking vehicles racing on narrow Shimla roads to drop children off at their classes—increasing congestion and pollution.”

This is not limited to just one stretch of the town but has extended to restricted zones and sealed portions of Mall Road. The privileged class, including MLAs, who are allotted accommodation at the old Metropole hotel, park their cars on the Mall near Rock Sea Hotel and Willow Bank next to Oberoi Clarkes.

Official records from three different sources—Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Shimla (Urban) and Shimla (Rural)—registering motor authorities put the number of vehicles in Shimla over 1.18 lakh, most of them motorcars.

The actual volume of vehicles on the move, including those pouring in daily from nearby urban belts, is believed to be many times higher, admits a traffic official.

The parking facility is far from adequate, a stark contrast to the days when Shimla’s roads were meant for leisurely walks. “Today, speeding cars can be seen crammed into every possible corner or spilling over onto the pedestrian paths,” Ishwar Verma points out.

Official data available suggests that the number of registered vehicles in the town is approximately 1.18 lakh, with the highest number of motorcars. Yet, the total number of moving vehicles, or those entering Shimla from urban belts, excluding the tourist vehicles, could be manifold, admits a traffic official.

Haphazard and illegal parking near the Indira Gandhi Indoor Sports Complex has turned the road loop towards the US Club, Masshi Wali Kotkhi, and the army residential area into a choke point, leaving no space for pedestrians, particularly during evening hours.

Even as the Court has fixed the next hearing for October 10, the core issue worrying most citizens is how Shimla is changing from a celebrated “walkers' paradise’ to a multi-vehicle circuit.

“Sitting in Bombay, I vividly recall my four-decade-old memories when I first visited Shimla in connection with a theatre project. When I recently visited the hill town for my play at the Gaiety Theatre, I was enraged to see how vehicles had overgrown Shimla’s carrying capacity. It is deeply frustrating,” says Narinder Sachar, a seasoned theatre and film actor.

Although vehicles are banned on the core Mall Road to preserve its character and maintain the walking culture, the stretch from Chotta Shimla to Chalet Crossing, and further up to the Ridge arch and HPTDC lift, is routinely congested with traffic. 

The Ridge, a sprawling space in the heart of Shimla, is frequently used for hosting regular exhibitions, sales fests, food shows, and mega events, which invariably obstruct pedestrian/tourist movement and block the valley side of Shimla. 

Will traffic chaos, congestion, blaring noise and the encroachment on citizens' rights totally erode the soul of Shimla’s protected spaces soon?