In Meghalaya ‘traffic jam’ must be the most used word in recent time. People are in a traffic jam day in and day out. In fact, a more appropriate world would have been a traffic pickle since the traffic snarls are caused by several factors such as bad traffic management, non checking of valid papers, trucks being driven by under-aged drivers, many of them not more than 18-20 years old, wrong parking of trucks, overtaking etc. The permissible age for getting a driving license is 18 years. No driver is allowed to handle a heavy motor vehicle (HMV) as soon as she/he gets a driving license. A person must first prove to the authorities that she/he can successfully drive a Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) for several years before being upgraded to becoming a truck driver. Those with clear vision can see that several truck drivers today are under-aged. But unless the Transport authorities are serious about checking the papers and booking the wrongdoers Meghalaya will continue to be a haven for law breakers.
The second predicament is the weigh bridge at Umling. People wonder why a weigh bridge should be kept 150 kilometres away from the place where the coal or cement is loaded. Is it not common sense to weigh the load once and allow trucks to pass unhindered until they reach their destination? The authorities are aware that trucks lining up to weigh their coal and cement at Umling actually causes traffic jams, but, they will not budge. Why? For whose benefit is the weigh bridge? Which contractor/politician/bureaucrat gains from the Umling weigh bridge? These questions need answers.
The law has been very lax insofar as punishing errant drivers are concerned. There are not many cases registered against drivers with no valid documents. The other day the Chief Secretary said that trailers carrying vehicles would not be allowed into the city, or only allowed at night. But the point is that the roads in Shillong are far too narrow to allow them easy passage. They can turn turtle any moment because of the sharp turns. In Meghalaya there is a huge gap between pronouncement and implementation. Those who frequent the state know these shortcomings and take advantage of the situation. The rule of law must be applied strictly if Meghalaya wishes to rid itself of the label “failed state.”