SHILLONG: As the traffic situation in Shillong goes from bad to worse, the East Khasi Hills SP has urged parents to make their children walk if their schools are at a walking distance.
East Khasi Hills SP M Kharkrang on Thursday said that many parents in the town prefer to send their children to school in private vehicles even if the school is just half a kilometer away. “If the parents tell their children to walk to school it will be good both for their health and the traffic in the city,” Kharkrang said.
According to Kharkrang, parents can also use the existing transport system to help ease traffic congestion.
“It is also seen that two-three families staying in the same building/complex prefer to send their children to school in their personal vehicles. If the kids are going to the same school, parents can use a common vehicle to help ease traffic congestion,” the SP said.
Kharkrang added that the Shillong Traffic Police alone cannot solve the problem of traffic congestion and the issue requires convergence of all the line departments.
The STP recently decided to open link roads to reduce traffic congestion at some of the city’s busiest junctions and came out with a move where Hopkinson Road, Jacob’s Ladder Road and Boyce Road were opened in the reverse direction, which means there will be no entry for vehicles from Don Bosco towards St Stephen’s Hall and Jacob’s Ladder Road.
According to Kharkrang, majority of the people have given positive feedback to the move.However, there are certain issues as people driving their vehicle on the steep often find it quite difficult to use half clutch when vehicles are forced to stop during jams on the particular road.
Kharkrang also rued that there are few roads in the city which can be expanded.
