SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Wednesday discussed at length the need to ease the growing traffic congestion in the city.
Replying to a motion moved by Independent MLA, SK Sunn from Mawphlang, Home Minister James Sangma said that around 1.7 lakh vehicles pass through the Shillong city at a peak period and on an average day, the number of vehicles plying on the road of Shillong is around 93,000.
Stating that the traffic wing of the state police is doing everything to ease the congestion, the Home Minister said that the volume of intra city movement has increased despite the sizeable traffic along the Shillong Bypass.
Informing that entry of trucks to the city has been also regulated, Sangma added that measures like imposing one way entry and other initiatives are also being undertaken by the police.
According to Sangma, the traffic wing is compounding traffic violators and people who illegally park their vehicles even as he asserted that crores of rupees of fines and penalty have been realised between 2014 and 2017.
In addition, he said that 22 flying squads are also in operation which move around different areas of the city to regulate traffic, while adding that 45 traffic awareness programmes were also organised from 2015 -2017.
Earlier, while moving the motion, Sunn said that traffic has become a big menace in the capital city.
Echoing similar views, Congress MLA from Nongpoh, Mayralborn Syiem lamented that public buses and taxis in the town stop anywhere and everywhere which often leads to traffic snarl.
He also suggested the need to construct a bypass even on the western side of the city.
Congress MLA from Umroi, George Lyngdoh said that the defence authorities have occupied huge chunk of land in the city and urged the State Government to negotiate with the defence authorities to get back the land which have been occupied by them in the city.
He also slammed the JNNURM bus drivers by saying the drivers of the buses with registration number “ML 01” drive as if they are VIPs even as he added that the drivers of JNNURM buses should be sensitised about driving safely.
Congress MLA from Mawsynram, HM Shangpliang said many times even ambulances are found to be stuck in traffic snarl in the city.
Calling for a holistic approach on the issue, Shangpliang urged the government to engage consultants to study traffic snarl in the city and come out with measures to ease the congestion.
He also urged the government to examine the old proposals of constructing fly over from Jylli Shop till Iew Mawlong via Barik and the sky walks for which surveys were conducted long time back.
Urging the government to conduct periodical checking of driving license, he said that the CEO of the Shillong Cantonment Board should also be included in the group of ministers which was constituted recently by the government.
Gambegre MLA Saleng Sangma (Independent) said that ideas such as construction of flyovers in the city are impossible due to peculiar land tenure system.
He, however, said that some rules and regulations will be have to made by the government and those rules will have to be implemented effectively.
Congress legislator from Nongthymmai, Charles Pyngrope and KHNAM MLA from North Shillong Adelbert Nongrum also participated in the discussion and gave their suggestions to ease the traffic congestion.
Charles said that experts should be appointed to study the traffic problem in the city so that this will help the government to find solution to the problem.
