A businessman has been ruing a decision by the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills to ban parking along the Khyndailad to Motphran road after he had been given permission to college parking fees from two-wheelers along part of the stretch.
The DC passed an order on October 17 declaring the stretch from Uncle’s Shop in Khyndailad up to Motphran as a no parking zone with effect from today.
The order stated that illegal roadside parking has become one of the major contributors towards the worsening traffic situation along what is a highway.
However, one Embhahlang Shadap had been awarded a contract to collect parking fees from two-wheelers from Bimola up to Motphran.
“The day before yesterday the police came and showed me the traffic order and I also showed them the work order I had obtained from the district council for renting the stretch of road for two-wheeler parking. I have also submitted the paperwork to the Lumdiengjri, Cantonment and Sadar police stations earlier in April,” Shadap said.
With the entire stretch now declared a no parking zone, Shadap is out of pocket for all the money he invested in the project.
“I have the work order from the district council and I have not done anything illegal,” he said.
Shadap has received backing in his fight from at least one pressure group, the Hynñiewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF), which questioned if the notification from the DC applies to illegal parking in other areas, whether street hawkers occupying space on the roads is illegal or not and also queried about the legality of parking in other areas nearby, such as Mawkhar, Wahingdoh, Anjalee, Garikhana, Polo and Keating Road.
