By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 20: The nascent school bus service run by the Sustainable Transport and Efficient Mobility Society (STEMS) has received an award but the public transportation system in Shillong continues to suffer.
The state government is yet to act on requests from the Shillong Airport authorities to start a bus service to and from the state capital to cater to an increasing number of passengers. Without such a service, passengers have to shell out Rs 500 each in a shared taxi to cover 28 km between the airport and Shillong.
Several STEMS buses reportedly remain parked at the ISBT while only a few are seen ferrying school students.
Frequent flyers said the local authorities in cities such as Guwahati, Kolkata, and New Delhi operate bus services to and from the airports for cheaper travel.
Some flyers from Shillong said they are often compelled to reserve a vehicle for anything between Rs 2,000-4,000 to and from the airport as shared taxis are few and far between.
Similarly, in the absence of a bus between Shillong and Guwahati Airport, passengers are charged Rs 800-1,000 per head for a ride in a shared taxi.
The Tourism Department used to operate a bus service between Shillong and Guwahati a long time ago.
Even the Shillong ISBT, located on the outskirts of the city, has no bus service to save passengers some money paid to share taxi operators.
