By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 23: The city’s commercial hub of Khyndai Lad has become the cynosure of all eyes with Christmas decorations and festive lights adding glitz and glamour enticing locals and tourists alike.
However, with thousands of shoppers, tourists and locals descending on the crowded Khyndai Lad area, especially during the evening hours and the never-ending queues of vehicles, local cabs and two-wheelers occupying every single inch of space, the scene turns into one of utter chaos.
Add the burgeoning number of hawkers and vendors, and pop-up fast food stalls, the area simply becomes too congested for anyone’s liking.
In a small stretch spanning 100-200 metres, hundreds of people with their children, hawkers, and shoppers jostle for space, raising concerns about a stampede-like situation in case of any emergency.
Several citizens have raised concerns about the safety of children and the elderly amidst the chaos.
“Khyndai Lad is not safe for kids and the government must clear some of the hawkers to provide some space to pedestrians,” a mother observed, holding her child close to her.
With tourists choosing Khyndai Lad as their go to place, the brightly-illuminated rotary and the thoroughfare draws a large number of people who are interested in clicking photos, selfies and videos for social media which further adds to the confusion.
Shopkeepers in the area have expressed mixed feelings about the situation, with some welcoming the increased footfall for business, while others complaining that the overcrowding and blocked access are driving away serious customers.
Then, at the junction itself, traffic is overflowing while people are making a beeline to take pictures of the rotary. Although such decorations during festival times are meant for the public and have been welcomed, many citizens feel that the authorities must deploy adequate manpower to control the traffic around the rotary.
The handful of traffic personnel on duty at Khyndai Lad junction are actively engaged in regulating traffic but the number of vehicle around the rotary and pedestrians who gather at the junction to click pictures and videos are too many to be managed by a few traffic personnel.
Absence of traffic policemen after 9 pm—the end of designated duty hours leads to additional chaos as vehicles continue to move until late into the night when shoppers and tourists give way to merrymakers and foodies who crowd around the food stalls.
Ambulances have reportedly faced severe delays in navigating through the congested roads around Khyndai Lad and other areas, raising concerns about emergency response during critical situations.
In addition, locals have pointed out the need for crowd management strategies, such as designated pedestrian zones, strict parking regulations, and temporary barricades to streamline movement and avoid further chaos. The absence of such measures has only aggravated the situation.