The Meghalaya High Court on Thursday directed the state government to furnish a report indicating the immediate measures proposed to be adopted to ease traffic snarls in fast growing Shillong.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh heard a PIL filed by Philip Khrawbok Shati, pertaining to the traffic congestion in Shillong, particularly around the central business district and Kachari area.
The petitioner complains of pregnant women delivering inside cars or critical patients dying without being able to reach hospitals or school children failing to reach school on time. The petitioner said that at times there are long queues as a result of irregular parking or far too many cars than the roads may be able to bear.
It is submitted on behalf of the State that the traffic in Shillong is a problem and it is magnified by the fact that this being a hilly area, alternate roads may not be easily carved out and a large chunk of the land around central Shillong is defence land.
The Court while considering the PIL observed,
“There is no denying that the traffic needs to be regulated. While the specific measures that need to be taken cannot be dictated by the Court, the present state of affairs cannot be permitted to continue. Whether it is by constructing bypasses as a long-term measure or making some streets one way as a short-term measure or regulating the number of cars or even staggering school timings so they do not clash with the office working hours, some measures need to be thought of. Every day, the major traffic on even the Guwahati-Shillong Highway comes to a standstill and queues of more than 3 km of stalled cars are a common sight. It is the same for the road leading to Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and getting into or out of Shillong is a virtual nightmare.”
The Bench hoped police authorities in the state and local administration adopt immediate measures to ease the traffic in Shillong, particularly around the central business district and the entry and exit points.
“The State will furnish a report indicating the immediate measures proposed to be adopted to ease the traffic snarls which are an everyday affair in this fast growing city,” directed the Bench .
The authorities must also appreciate that no effective traffic management may be possible unless hawkers are regulated and are removed from the carriageways, the court said in its order.
“At any rate, the random parking of cars has to be checked and areas slightly away from congested places may be earmarked for parking. It is equally possible that certain areas be reserved strictly for pedestrian traffic and altogether closed for regular traffic,”
-the Bench suggested while listing the matter on February 8, 2022 for further hearing.
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