‘Complete chaos’: Fights erupt in middle of traffic jams on Shimla-Manali routes, viral clips trigger debate on civic sense

What was supposed to be a peaceful hill-station escape for many travellers turned into hours of traffic, frustration, and complete chaos after disturbing videos from the Chandigarh–Shimla and Chandigarh–Manali highways exploded online.

The viral clips, now circulating heavily across X and Instagram, show massive traffic jams stretching across key routes leading into Himachal Pradesh. But it wasn’t just the congestion that shocked people online - it was what started happening in the middle of it.

In several videos, groups of men can allegedly be seen fighting openly on packed highways while long lines of stranded vehicles remain stuck around them. Some clips even appear to show physical assaults happening right in the middle of the road as families and tourists watch nervously from inside their cars.

And the internet had one major question: where was the traffic control?

A lot of social media users pointed out that despite these routes being among the busiest tourist corridors every summer, there seemed to be very little crowd management or visible traffic regulation on the ground.

What made the situation even more concerning for viewers was that, in some viral clips, even police personnel appeared to struggle while trying to control the situation. A few videos allegedly showed cops themselves getting attacked during attempts to intervene, sparking fresh debate online about law-and-order preparedness during peak tourist season.

The visuals quickly triggered reactions online, with many users saying the problem goes far beyond just traffic jams.

One user sarcastically wrote, “Saari garmi raste mein hi nikaal di,” joking that people seemed to be releasing all their heat and frustration directly on the highways.

Others blamed both poor civic sense and weak traffic management for the mess.

Many users pointed out how drivers entering wrong lanes during jams only end up making congestion worse. Several also questioned why there weren’t more diversions, checkpoints, patrol teams, or stricter lane monitoring on roads that regularly see heavy tourist rush towards Shimla, Manali, and nearby hill destinations.

One comment that quickly gained traction online read, “We should give civic sense licences before driving licences in India.”

And honestly, that sentiment summed up much of the internet’s frustration.

For many travellers, the videos highlighted a growing problem on popular hill routes during long weekends and holiday seasons - endless jams, reckless overtaking, impatient driving, overcrowding, and rising road rage.

Some users even warned that repeated scenes like these could seriously affect the overall travel experience for tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh, especially families heading out for summer vacations expecting a relaxing getaway instead of highway chaos.

As the clips continue spreading online, the incident has once again put the spotlight on the fragile traffic infrastructure across major tourist highways, where one bad jam can quickly spiral into complete disorder.

And judging by the reactions online, people are no longer just complaining about traffic. They’re questioning whether basic safety and crowd management on some of India’s busiest tourist routes are simply failing to keep up.