SHIMLA: Traffic on Cart Road (Circular Road), the lifeline of Shimla, remained severely disrupted for more than three hours on Tuesday as hundreds of lawyers staged a protest outside the Secretariat against the state government's vehicle permit regulations.
Lawyers Oppose Permit Fee Hike and Entry Restrictions
The advocates opposed the government's decision to restrict the entry of vehicles on sealed roads without a valid permit and objected to the recent increase in permit fees. Raising slogans against the government, the protesters demanded the intervention of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to resolve the issue.
Vehicles are not permitted on sealed and restricted roads without a valid permit. Several of these roads provide access to the city's central areas, including the Mall Road and the Ridge. Key routes under the restrictions include Navbahar to Ridge, Chhota Shimla to the Mall and Ridge, IGMC to Ridge, AG Office to CTO, and Boileauganj to Vidhan Sabha via the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS).
Previous Permits for Lawyers Now Revoked
Lawyers said they had previously been allowed to use the sealed road connecting Chhota Shimla and the high court. Advocate Sheetal Vyas stated that the High Court Bar Association had earlier issued passes to advocates at nominal rates for movement on sealed roads, including the Boileauganj–Vidhan Sabha route via IIAS and the Chhota Shimla–Mall Road stretch. "But since last week, our vehicles have been stopped (by the authorities), and we were told to apply for permits from the Home department," Vyas added.
She further said that permit charges had been raised substantially. "The rates of permits have been increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000," she said, adding that the government had now proposed that the High Court would provide a list of active lawyers who would be issued passes at nominal rates.
Protest Triggers from Budget Decision
The dispute stems from a decision taken earlier this year during the state budget session, when the government increased permit fees for vehicles using sealed roads from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000 and made permits mandatory for lawyers. The move triggered resentment among advocates and eventually led to Tuesday's protest.
During the demonstration, lawyers stopped several vehicles travelling on sealed roads to verify their permits. The private vehicle of Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh was among those checked. Former MP and Congress leader Pratibha Singh, the minister's mother, was travelling in the vehicle at the time.
Advocates also demanded action against vehicles allegedly operating without valid permits. Following their objections, police issued challans to multiple vehicles, including those belonging to a senior police officer and a government official.
Commuters Face Inconvenience
The protest caused significant inconvenience to commuters, particularly parents trying to pick up children from schools. Police advised residents to use alternate routes as the demonstration continued.
