Shillong’s bustling streets are choking under relentless traffic congestion, and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has pinpointed disorganized parking as a primary culprit. Speaking at the inauguration of the state’s first automated multi-level car park on Vivekananda Road near the Additional Secretariat, Sangma emphasized the urgent need for structured parking solutions.
The new facility marks the beginning of a comprehensive, long-term strategy to alleviate the city’s traffic woes. ‘Unregulated parking and the scarcity of adequate parking spaces are major contributors to traffic jams in our capital,’ Sangma stated, highlighting how vehicles haphazardly parked along roadsides disrupt smooth flow and inconvenience commuters.
Government efforts are gaining momentum with nine additional sites identified for multi-level parking projects, promising space for around 1,300 vehicles across various parts of Shillong. This initiative is part of a broader parking policy that encourages private landowners to partner with the state, allowing them to develop facilities and generate revenue from them.
Sangma stressed the importance of directing vehicles to designated zones to curb arbitrary parking. Parallel measures include dedicated parking for public buses and taxis at Khyndailad, relocating street vendors from busy roads, expanding the Umshiripi-Seventh Mile road, and proposing an elevated or four-lane corridor from Rhino Museum Point to Civil Hospital and Barik.
These steps signal a committed push towards a less congested Shillong, prioritizing urban mobility and resident comfort in the face of growing vehicular traffic.