The Simla Rules provided for suitable safety requirements in ships engaged in certain special trades in the Far East which involve the carriage of large numbers of unberthed passengers.
The rules were made pursuant to the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1929 (SOLAS), from or to any port in the Red Sea. The Simla rules said in essence that, if you were running a ship on the Hadj, you only needed lifesaving appliances ("LSA", in the trade) for half the passengers.
The rules became outdated following the adoption of the 1948 and 1960 SOLAS Conventions,
According to these Hong Kong regulation:
The Simla Rules contain special provisions as to the treatment to be accorded to "existing" ships, as defined in the Rules, and should an application be received for the survey of a ship already in service, the case is to be referred to the Principal Surveyor of Ships for instructions, with information as to the owners of the ship and the trades in which she has been engaged, particulars of the certificates held in respect of those trades including the name of the governmental authority by whom these certificates were issued, and information as to the trades in which the ship is intended to be employed.
The Simla Rules require that each existing passenger ship which does not already comply with the provisions of those Rules shall be considered by Government with a view to providing such increased safety as is practicable and reasonable.
With regard to the subdivision arrangements it will be necessary to investigate these in each existing ship in order to ascertain the actual degree of subdivision provided, and it will therefore be necessary for the surveyor to obtain such data and information as may be available for this purpose.
Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh and a popular hill station in North India. Shimla is historically significant for being the summer capital of India during the British rule, when it was called "Simla."
Sources:
http://www.legco.gov.hk/1959/h591007.pdf
www.hklii.org/hk/legis/en/reg/369D/s2-30061997.html
http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/archive/index.php/t-41369.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simla
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