We were supposed to be dropped at Police Bazar, but suddenly, the girlfriend of the driver called, and he dropped us in Mawlai at night as he wanted to take a shortcut to Polo!
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 30: At a time when Meghalaya is striving to promote tourism, a good and reliable public transport system is what tourists are looking for, which the state currently lacks with its outdated and limited services.
Many tourists have pointed out that whilst Meghalaya has no dearth of amazing places, reaching many of these exotic locations remains a big challenge and an expensive affair in the state.
“Thousands of tourists who come to Meghalaya want to visit Sohra and Dawki, but there are only a couple of government-owned buses that take tourists for sightseeing,” a tourist said, adding that the government must increase the number of such affordable travel options to these exotic locations.
According to tourists, even for going to scenic places like Markham, Laitlum and Krangsuri waterfalls, there is no affordable way to travel.
“If you want to visit these places, you have to book an entire vehicle and pay a good amount. While many can afford this, there are also many who like to travel within a budget,” tourists said.
Some tourists also lamented that the conduct of many drivers in Meghalaya needs improvement.
They recalled instances while travelling to Shillong in shared vehicles where drivers, who were supposed to drop tourists at Police Bazar, instead dropped them at Mawlai or Mawiong to take detours via the Mawlai Bypass.
“We were supposed to be dropped at Police Bazar, but suddenly, the girlfriend of the driver called, and he dropped us in Mawlai at night as he wanted to take a shortcut to Polo!,” an irritated tourist said.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC), even in this era of inflation, is still offering quick and affordable journeys between Guwahati and Shillong for as low as Rs 200.
Some say that the government should expand these services or that MTC could operate more buses for tourist sightseeing to make travel across Meghalaya easier and more affordable.
