SHILLONG: Former legislator Manas Chaudhuri has sought the intervention of East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner PS Dkhar in introducing STPS bus service for Laban and neighbouring areas on an hourly basis covering the routes of Laban, Madan Laban, Lumparing, Kench’s Trace, Bishnupur and Rilbong.
In a letter addressed to Dkhar on August 14, Chaudhuri also wanted the Deputy Commissioner to identify embarkation and disembarkation points and parking spaces for the buses, besides conducting surprise checks on vehicles parked in taxi stands and prevent harassment and exploitation of commuters.
The letter narrated the unmitigated problems of office-goers and public transport commuters of Laban, Bishnupur, Kench’s Trace, Lumparing and adjoining areas.
Chaudhuri said though the entire town of Shillong and its peripheries have been provided with regular STPS bus service, strangely Laban and its adjacent areas have been completely neglected. “Obviously, in the absence of STPS bus services, commuters have to turn to local taxis. Unfortunately, the taxis have become a law unto themselves; they simply refuse to entertain customs for going to office areas like Secretariat, La Chaumiere, Laitumkhrah etc, unless the whole taxi is reserved at an exorbitant and arbitrary charge,” the letter said, adding that this is in complete contravention of the taxi operating licence conditions.
In the absence of any vigilance on the part of the Transport Department, the taxis are having a field day — all at the expense and inconvenience of commuters, Chaudhuri added.
