Chief Minister Conrad Sangma launched an offensive against Shillong’s crippling traffic jams on Friday, cutting the ribbon on Meghalaya’s first automated multi-level car park at Vivekananda Road opposite the Additional Secretariat. He squarely blamed disorganized parking for exacerbating the capital’s mobility meltdown.
In his address, Sangma described congestion as a top-tier challenge, driven by insufficient parking bays and rampant roadside parking that chokes roadways and plagues travelers. This cutting-edge facility heralds a sustained, multi-dimensional government strategy to restore order.
Nine additional parking sites are in the pipeline, collectively providing spots for nearly 1,300 vehicles dispersed throughout the city. A fresh policy framework empowers private property owners to team up with the state for development, complete with revenue-sharing incentives.
‘Citizens must use allocated parking spaces to prevent arbitrary parking,’ Sangma urged. He further sketched parallel efforts, including dedicated public transport parking at Khyndailad, clearing vendors from busy streets, broadening the Umshiripi-Seventh Mile stretch, and engineering an elevated or four-lane road from Rhino Museum Point to Civil Hospital and Barik.
This integrated roadmap underscores Meghalaya’s resolve to overhaul Shillong’s transport infrastructure, delivering lasting benefits for commuters and the economy alike.