Shillong’s roadside parking likely to go paid; concerns rise over Sunday church traditions

SHILLONG, June 20: Roadside parking in Shillong may soon come at a digital price as the state government moves to monetise street space by deploying local youths with POS machines—a plan already hitting a speed bump over the city’s Sunday church-parking traditions.
The proposal, discussed during a recent traffic task force meeting, seeks to involve local communities in managing designated parking spots. While the government pitches the move as a way to regulate congestion and create employment, it marks a significant shift from public street use to a paid revenue model.
NPP MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh, who attended the meeting, noted that while the initiative aims to reduce bottlenecks, several social and logistical friction points remain. A primary concern is the potential impact on churchgoers who traditionally park on roadsides during Sunday services.
“There are many issues that need to be clarified, including what will happen to churchgoers who park their vehicles outside churches on Sundays,” Lyngdoh said.
To ensure transparency and prevent the leakage of funds, the proposal mandates that all parking fees be collected via Point of Sale (POS) machines. The generated revenue would be shared among stakeholders, including the local youths entrusted with enforcement and management.
While the government views the involvement of “local youths” as a job creation opportunity, the plan has yet to address the specific criteria for selecting these personnel or how the system will be regulated to avoid local friction. The proposal remains under consideration as the task force weighs these traditional and community-based concerns against the need for stricter traffic management.