The State government has informed that due to the closure of the Umiam Bridge all buses, except those operated by the MTC, have ceased operations from Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) Shillong and are currently operating from Barapani.
“As a result of the reduced passenger traffic and footfall all shops and facilities within the ISBT have closed down,” Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said in reply to a Zero Hour notice brought by Mawlai MLA, Brightstarwell Marbaniang on closure of shops in the ISBT Mawiong due to the ban on plying of heavy vehicles over the Umiam Bridge.
The Deputy Chief Minister informed that a meeting was held on July 4 at ISBT Shillong, chaired by the Managing Director of the Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC), to address concerns raised by tenants regarding rent during the closure of the Umiam Bridge.
In response to the tenants’ request for a rent waiver during this period, the Managing Director informed that waiving of the rent might be considered by the state government until the bridge becomes operational.
Dhar said that once business resumes, a formula will be worked out for payment of rent.
Further he informed the House that the State government will be holding a meeting with private bus operators to re-start their operations from ISBT and to waive off parking fees during the closure of the bridge.
According to Dhar, before the closure of the Umiam Bridge, a total of 29 inter-state buses operated from ISBT. This included 12 buses run by state transport corporations and 17 by private operators.
He also informed that at ISBT Shillong, there were 22 occupied shops and facilities, with 12 remaining unoccupied.
Calls for tender for the unoccupied shops/facilities have been kept in abeyance due to the closure of operations in ISBT.
The Deputy Chief Minister also said that the total rent collected from tenants since the inception of ISBT until March 2024 amounted to Rs. 30,22,515.
The monthly rent collection from the shops before the closure of the Umiam Bridge was Rs. 5,08,328.
Dhar also said that the State government is working on a plan to re-start operations of inter-state bus services from ISBT.
Meanwhile, he also informed that the construction of the road from Shillong City to Umroi Airport along the Mawlai Byepass covers a total distance of 19.498 km, with 14.279 km being developed under the NEISIDS scheme and 5.219 km under the CRF scheme.
“As of now, Phase 1 (0-14.279 km under NEISIDS) is 38 per cent complete, while Phase 11 (14.279-19.498 km under CRF) is 50 per cent complete,” Dhar informed.
