Shimla, April 2 -- With an aim to restore Shimla town's culture of walking with 'umbrella' and 'jacket', Himachal Pradesh assembly passed the Shimla Road Users and Pedestrians (Public Safety and Convenience) Amendment Bill, 2026, on Wednesday, providing hefty fines for the vehicles plying on sealed and restricted roads in Shimla town without a valid permit. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had tabled the Bill on Tuesday, which proposes stricter penalties and higher permit fees for vehicles entering restricted areas, including the Mall Road. The bill was passed by voice vote without any opposition and the BJP legislators had walked out the House earlier during the day. The bill provides that the vehicles found plying on sealed roads without a valid permit would face a fine of Rs 15,000, while those on restricted roads without permission would be fined Rs 5,000. Violation of the terms and conditions of permits would attract a penalty of Rs 2,000. Besides the Mall Road, the road from Navbahar to Ridge, Chota Shimla to the Mall and Ridge, IGMC to Ridge, AG office to CTO and the road from Boulieganj via the Advance Study Centre to Vidhan Sabha are among the sealed and restricted roads in Shimla town. The Bill provides for the hike of the annual fee for permits for sealed roads from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000, while the fee for daily permits would increase from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000. Further, the authority to issue passes for restricted roads would shift from the Deputy Commissioner to the Secretary (Home). htc...