By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 12: The long, disorderly queue of vehicles that forms by evening outside the P Marbaniang Petrol Pump near the Fire Brigade is causing significant inconvenience to pedestrians and contributing to traffic congestion.
While it is understandable that people prefer what they believe to be the best petrol in town, it should not come at the cost of public convenience.
Vehicles arriving from Nongthymmai line up along the roadside to refuel, but instead of joining the queue from behind, vehicles from the opposite direction often bypass it entirely and head straight into the pump.
This practice leads to blockages and chokes traffic from both directions. Drivers do so with complete disregard, as if nothing is amiss.
This problem worsens on weekends.
Although traffic police are deployed to manage the situation, it continues to repeat regularly—one can only imagine the chaos after duty hours.
The resulting congestion disrupts traffic flow, often stretching as far as Madanryting on one side, and Dhankheti and Laitumkhrah on the other.
In addition, government vehicles are often seen violating traffic rules, further aggravating the situation.
A glaring example is the daily double parking of official vehicles outside the Additional Secretariat, despite clear signage prohibiting it.
The state government, which often appears helpless when addressing such issues, tends to cite long-term plans such as creating more parking areas, developing New Shillong Township, or shifting government offices.
However, it must also pay attention to these seemingly minor issues that have a substantial impact on the city’s traffic flow.