Choked with people and vehicles alike, Khyndailad and the wider Police Bazar area could be made into a pedestrian zone in the near future, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said today.
The minister took note of the inconvenience faced by the public in the busy city centre and carried out an inspection to see the ground reality for himself.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Lyngdoh said that the government has identified Khyndailad as one area of Shillong that should be made into a pedestrian zone with vehicle honking banned as well.
Ironically, it was under the previous incarnation of this government, which sat from 2018 to 2023, that one of the most unpopular moves (among pedestrians at least) was made – namely that the footfall-only route through Khyndailad, running roughly parallel to GS Road, was opened to traffic.
Lyngdoh was not a member of that government but won his seat back this year and netted a cabinet berth as well. As a government spokesperson, his comments today carry weight.
He added that Shillong has become toxic with pedestrians facing great difficulty in walking and the government wants to tackle this problem. He added that the issue of vehicle honking is also a problem near hospitals and the government is looking to tackle that too.
Asked whether the government is ready to undertake the massive task of making Khyndailad a pedestrian and no honking zone, Lyngdoh said that every mammoth task can be tackled with sincerity and that the first milestone is to have a few areas of the state capital as pedestrian zones.
