Most parts of Shillong city have
now been converted into temporary Tata Sumo stands with Sumo drivers parking their vehicles at their own sweet will and ‘inviting’ passengers by employing middlemen.
Even though there are designated Sumo stands in the city, many of these vehicles are seen often parked on the road sides waiting to fetch the passengers who wish to travel to Guwahati.
Among the new spots these Sumo drivers have found, one is near the State Central Library, the other is at the Civil Hospital junction, while there are many Sumos which operate from Keating Road.
Another favourite spot for these sumo drivers is at Jhalupara point, where one may often find two or three Sumos parked along the roadside and waiting for passengers.
However, what these Sumos drivers don’t care for is that the roads in the city are narrow and parking along the roadside will not only lead to traffic disruptions but also presents an uninviting scene for a newcomer to the city, people have observed.
The Shillong Traffic police, in the meanwhile, have issued a stringent warning to the Sumo drivers not to park their vehicles along the road side which may lead to traffic snarls.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Herbert Lyngdoh said that the Shillong Traffic police will deal stringently with any Sumo driver who is caught with his vehicle parked on the road side.
“As soon as we catch any sumo parked along the road side we will levy a full penalty on their drivers,” Lyngdoh said.
Lyngdoh also informed that the Shillong Traffic Police has already held discussions with the Sumo Association asking them to pull-up their members for illegally parking their vehicles along the road side.
However, Sumo passengers are quite a happy lot. They have expressed satisfaction that they don’t have to go to Polo Parking lot of the Anjalee Parking lot to catch a sumo since these sumos are to be found everywhere.
“I save some extra money since I normally bargain with these road side Sumo drivers over the fare, whereas if I have to board a Sumo from the designated stand, then I will have to pay the entire fare,” a Sumo passenger, who regularly travels between Shillong and Guwahati, told this scribe.
As they say — It takes all kinds to make the world.
(By Aafaque Hussain)