The Meghalaya High Court has expressed its concern over the problem caused to pedestrians and vehicular traffic in Shillong by hawkers and street vendors.
“Indeed, in many areas pavements have been completely taken over by hawkers and vendors, forcing pedestrians to spill on the streets which are already far too narrow to accommodate smooth vehicular movement. This malaise can be seen from the prime Laitumkhrah area in Shillong,” the division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh said today while hearing a PIL on traffic congestion in the city.
During today’s hearing, the State government filed its report on its plans to deal with traffic congestion.
“Despite the grandiose plans earlier and the details indicated in the report that runs into five pages, the situation on the ground is quite alarming with very little improvement since the matter was instituted,” the High Court said.
The High Court also asked the State government to look at other “out-of-the-box solutions” to ease the traffic congestion in the city. The next hearing on the matter will be held on November 14.
