By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: With less traffic in the city roads and national highway, commuters are a relieved lot as they can ride freely and most importantly can reach their destinations on time.
The past few months have been a horrendous experience for many as passengers missed their flights, trains from Guwahati and patients too have died for traffic deadlock.
A commuter who frequently travels between Shillong and Guwahati said that the situation has improved for the last few days but it is only a matter of time as to how long the situation will persist.
“Now I am making the 100km distance between Guwahati and Shillong in three and half hours which earlier took around 6/7 hours as early as a fortnight ago,” he said.
Another commuter said that the clear roads now are due to the ongoing festive season. “I fear that the nightmarish road scenario will be back again once the festive season is over,” he said.
She is echoed by a car owner who said that now schools and colleges are closed and so traffic is less. “But after the educational institutions reschedule their sessions it is back to square one,” he said.
The city residents are a relieved lot now that the traffic scenario is under control. “It is joyride now in the roads of the town with lesser vehicles. This is what it used to be in the earlier years,” recalled a resident of Lumpyngad.
Many passengers said that the traffic scenario is more due to the plying of trucks through the city and the earlier the Shillong Bypass is operational the better it is for all.
“The sight of the monstrous trucks inching towards their destination is an eyesore.
The city’s traffic scenario can be attributed largely to these trucks and not to be forgotten the local cabbies,” said a resident who drives his own car.
Another such resident reiterated that the concern of the Governor who recently during the launch of a car showroom in the outskirt of the city said about the increasing traffic congestion in the city.
Even tourists have expressed their concern about the traffic scenario in the town. Many tourists said that Shillong and traffic used to be two distant dreams.
But the distance has reduced now as ugly city traffic has taken over not only the beauty of the roads but also its quality.