By Nabarun Goswami
They were among the first four wheelers to tread the once lonely roads of the Scotland of the East and are considered synonymous to the city which from a sleepy hill station has turned into a bustling neighbourhood struggling to come to terms with monstrous traffic congestion, unthinkable in those days.
We are talking about the traditional city buses of Shillong which began its journey with a small fleet of 10 buses way back in 1937. The multi-coloured buses with shades of blue, yellow, red and orange frequented the city roads when it was still a part of Assam under the British rule and the services were officially launched in the year 1941.
Initially, the services were restricted to the city area but gradually it extended to as-far-as Sylhet (now in Bangladesh). Considered the sole mode of transportation for a long time, the buses rendered valuable service ferrying residents to the remotest corners of the district charging the most reasonable fare.
The journey that started with a small fleet slowly grew to as many as 150 buses in the late 1980’s. However, with liberalization in the mid-nineties which resulted in an increase in the purchasing power of the consumers, the number of buses started declining with only around 70 plying the city roads today.
These buses have a unique relation with the city and every denizen here has some memory or the other associated with them.
But the ‘iconic buses’ which were once the face of the city are gradually heading towards oblivion for obvious reasons. Lack of maintenance, rusted body parts, fading popularity are some factors contributing to the slow but steady journey towards extinction of these buses. The question that arises now is can anything be done to preserve these four-wheelers in a way that would not tax anyone.
“These buses have served the people of the city well for all these years and remaining ones that still ply the city roads charge the lowest fares till today,” said the Shillong City Bus Syndicate president B Warjri and general secretary S Warbah.
A possible way of utilising these vehicles better could be to use them in ferrying tourists in-and-around the city. There is no doubt that these buses are a part of the city’s history and are symbolic to its past. The tourism department could put this synonymous nature into good use to provide a fillip to the yellow-and-blue juggernauts, paving the way for them to be a huge hit among the visitors queuing to have a glance at the scenic beauty of the East Khasi Hills district.
Reacting to this, Warbah said, “The buses should be preserved, but any initiative (such as using the buses for tourists) has to come from the Government.”
However, there are a lot of factors that need to be looked into before any such step is taken. The condition of the buses is one of the prime concerns and has to be sorted out before a department like the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) plans something for the big ‘motor cars’. Modalities would also have to be worked out on the feasibility of such a project.
“The buses do not belong to the Syndicate. Hence, the owners (of the buses) would have a final say on the matter. If the venture is profitable and the Government gives a fair proposal, the Syndicate would be more than willing to mediate between the two parties,” Pinaki Das, a senior official of the Syndicate said.
Meanwhile, MTDC Chairman RV Lyngdoh said that though there was no such proposal as of now to use the old city buses as a means of transport for tourists, it was a good idea and can be looked into by the Corporation.
“In case of any such proposal, we have to sit with the Syndicate and the bus owners and discuss the nitty-gritty of things,” Lyngdoh said pointing to the sharing of revenue etc. so as to make the project viable. “The drivers too have to be trained to meet the needs and expectations of the visitors from around the country and abroad,” the MTDC Chairman said adding that the condition of the buses also needs to be improved.
It can be concluded that anyone visiting the State would love to be associated with things that are symbolic and historically considered in tune with the place.
Thus the old city buses can carve a niche for themselves if given a proper platform by the concerned authorities. Till then they would continue their Good Samaritan services to the residents of the pine city.