Traffic Dept seeks local headmen’s cooperation
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Unauthorized overnight parking in various localities of the city has become a major concern for Shillongites.
Calling upon the authorities to launch a special drive to control this menace, the residents said that these vehicles affect peace and tranquility of a locality.
With no identified overnight parking facility in the city, these residents have called upon the authorities to allot parking lots for such vehicles.
“Vehicles are parked overnight in residential areas such as Keating Road, Kench’s Trace, Oakland, Jail Road, Oxford despite prohibitory orders from respective headmen of these areas,” said a resident of Keating Road.
He said in areas such as Keating Road, Kench’s Trace, Bishnupur and behind Survey of India Estate heavy vehicles are also seen parked overnight.
Urging the civic authorities / Urban Affairs Department to put in place signboards mentioning overnight parking is prohibited in these areas, the residents of the city feel that the Durbar Shnong of these localities should also engage themselves in night patrolling. “Fines should be levied on such vehicles and if required vehicles may even be towed away,” said a resident of Nongrim Hills.
Echoing a similar view, an elderly resident said if the authorities allot a certain place for these vehicles it will also help in generating revenue.
The city’s commercial hub Police Bazaar too, is not behind when it comes to overnight parking. Businessman and residents here said that cars big or small and sometimes buses are seen parked on the roadside. “It does not take much time for anything untoward to take place. This place has a High Court, hotels, banks, GPO besides numerous commercial establishments and is susceptible in that way,” said a businessman of the area.
“It is ridiculous that the authority is not earning any revenue from these vehicles,” another resident said.
Meanwhile, Additional SP (Traffic) Herbert G Lyngdoh said that his department is aware of it and is on the job to do away with this menace. “We have appealed to public several times in the past besides putting up signboards. We are sending our personnel from time to time to these places. But without community participation such practices cannot be stopped,” he said adding that there are some areas where the signboards are yet to be put up.
Informing that the traffic department does not have much manpower, he said the local Durbar Shnong can cooperate with the traffic department to tackle this menace.