Citizen group wants traffic policy to ease congestion in city

SHILLONG: A delegation of prominent citizens from Shillong under the banner of Good World Foundation on Friday urged the state government to frame a traffic policy to address the perennial problem of congestion in the city.
Talking to media persons after the meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, RG Lyngdoh said that the government should have a traffic policy in the long run.
He said that they have taken suggestions from various stakeholders about how to ease traffic jams in the city and these were presented to the deputy chief minister.
Tynsong assured to analyse the suggestions while informing that the government has formed its own committee to look into the problems of traffic congestion.The foundation also submitted a white paper to the minister stating that it and the Centre for Development of North Eastern Region ( CeDNER) of Indian Institute of Management Shillong organised two sessions on the issue of traffic jams in which representatives of concerned government departments, various public transport associations and eminent citizens participated.The foundation was also of the view that the efforts to ease the traffic congestion  and the resultant  public inconvenience and suffering and deterioration in quality of life have to have a well concerted multi-disciplinary approach in strategy through involvement of all stakeholders including the concerned government departments.
It was also of the view that easing of traffic congestion starts by touching upon essential policy framework of the government relating to public transport and allied issues such as road capacity expansion and enhancement of parking facility.