Foreign tourists drive UK-themed auto-rickshaw on Shimla’s Mall Road, fined Rs 1,500

To preserve the town’s heritage core, particularly the Mall Road and Ridge area, and to reduce congestion, the traffic is regulated on certain roads in the Capital city under The Shimla Road Users and Pedestrians (Public Safety and Convenience) Act, 2007. Under the law, two categories of roads have been created sealed within the municipal limits — sealed and restricted.

On sealed roads, vehicular movement is generally prohibited except for authorised vehicles holding valid permits. Restricted roads allow limited vehicular movement under a permit system

Shimla’s colonial-era road network was not designed to accommodate the volume of vehicles it is seeing today. Heavy tourist inflow, increasing urbanisation and limited road space have led to congestion and safety concerns.

The restrictions seek to protect pedestrian zones, preserve the town’s heritage character and prevent the Mall Road from becoming a vehicular thoroughfare. Earlier this year, the law was amended to strengthen penalties for violations.

In September 2025, the Himachal Pradesh High Court, while hearing a public interest litigation, observed that Shimla was losing its culture of walking and warned against allowing traffic on sealed roads, saying the town’s heritage charm needed to be restored.