SHILLONG, July 6: In a sweeping move aimed at decongesting the narrow city roads, the East Khasi Hills district administration has issued parking regulations for urban mobility.
The regulation will come into force from August 1, 2025, and will cover seven key traffic branches: Sadar, Madanrting, Laban, Mawlai, Rynjah, Lumdiengjri, and Laitumkhrah.
The Urban Affairs Department has fixed standardised hourly parking rates based on area classifications, with Rs 20 per hour charge for two-wheelers and Rs 40 per hour for four-wheelers.
The new zoning effort spans critical road segments across various city localities.
In Laban, multiple stretches in areas such as Madan Laban, Rilbong, Lumparing, and Raid Laban have been cleared for four-wheeler parallel parking.
Major roadways like Red Cross Road and Howell Road now include designated taxi and private vehicle slots, while Oxford Hill Road through Lumshatsngi to New Kench’s Trace has five separate zones accommodating up to 43 vehicles.
Madanrting will have structured parking identified at key nodes such as the Iew Madanrting Junction and several segments of Block F and E. In Nongkhyriem, parking is now permitted in areas adjoining KFC Nongrimmaw, St. Xavier School, and Dum Dum Road.
In Mawlai and its adjoining sectors — including Nongkwar, Nonglum, Nongpdeng, Mawroh, Mawkynroh, and Umjapung — one-side parking rules have been clearly demarcated, optimising narrow internal roads and community junctions for two to ten vehicles depending on the width and footfall.
Schools, churches, and local landmarks like SEMC College, Seng Khasi College, and various Dorbar Hall premises will now host designated drop-off and parking points, easing earlier chaos around public institutions.
The Sadar and Lumdiengjri branches will also witness wide-scale regulation of dense traffic corridors. Along Pine Mount Road and Red Cross Road, several new slots have been designated, while the high-capacity stretch of Boucher Road, from the Cantonment Board Bus Shed to Bawri Nethralaya, now holds space for 220 four-wheelers, emerging as one of the largest such sites in the city.
Tourist taxis and private cars will now have streamlined space near Ward’s Lake, Polo Towers, and Pinewood Hotel.
Smart Road, one of Shillong’s major arterial routes, has been significantly reorganised, with high-capacity zones near the Meghalaya Public Service Commission office and the Passport Seva Kendra accommodating over 45 private vehicles. Two-wheeler parking has also been allowed opposite All Saints’ School, while Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road includes taxi-specific embankment stretches near the Syndicate Bus Stand.
The tourist-heavy zones of Golf Link and Keating Road have also received focused attention. Around Gaffar Café and the MPRO office, embankment parking is now legalised for up to 35 vehicles in some stretches. The area near the Balika Hindi Vidyalaya School in Keating Road allows for up to 70 vehicles, aimed at managing private and tourist transport.
In New Polo, up to 40 vehicles can now park near the CM’s Bungalow, while a separate 10-vehicle taxi zone has been cleared 60 metres from Hotel Pegasus Crown.
The traffic-heavy Laitumkhrah zone, including Don Bosco, St. Anthony’s College, and the bustling market area, now features structured parking plans to reduce roadside congestion. In the Lumdenghim sector, roadways near Fallen Bazar, Pony Trotting, and the Jeep Stand have been carved into clear zones for both private and taxi use.
The community hall vicinity in Lumdenghim also now offers a blend of tourist taxi, private vehicle, and commercial slots—some accommodating up to 25 vehicles.
The Nongmensong sector, especially around Holy Cross School, Teklup Hardware, and Manav Ashram, has also been notified with designated parking stretches, providing space for up to 56 two-wheelers and 41 four-wheelers. In Umpling and Rynjah, mixed parking use for taxis and private vehicles is allowed in clearly defined stretches. In Them Rynjah, a high-capacity private parking zone allows up to 37 four-wheelers and 18 two-wheelers.
Additionally, all areas that are not specifically listed in the district’s official notification have been declared as No Parking Zones, particularly under the Mawlai Town Dorbar jurisdiction.
The district administration has urged citizens to comply with the new rules, noting that clear signage and markings will be installed to facilitate adherence.
The Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills has urged all residents, transport operators, and visitors to familiarise themselves with the new parking map and strictly follow the updated norms.
The initiative is expected to bring long-overdue order to Shillong’s congested streets while enhancing safety and ease of movement in both residential and commercial areas.
