The Department of Mathematics, St. Mary’s College organised an inter-college debate competition on the motion, “To alleviate traffic congestion, a prohibition on private cars should be implemented”.
During the competition held yesterday, participants discussed the potential benefits and drawbacks of implementing a prohibition on private cars as a means of easing traffic congestion. Some argued that improved planning and technology could be used to improve traffic flow.
Debargha Sarkar from St. Anthony’s College was judged the Best Speaker, and the Best Team award went to Bina Sharma and Bidisha Gogoi of Lady Keane College.
One key take away from the event was that young students are not in favour of restricting vehicular movement, but rather prioritise traffic management and adherence to rules by the public.
Former MLA, Manas Chaudhuri who also attended the event as the Speaker said that despite the roads being narrow and overcrowded, there is no significant pressure from the public to take action. He lamented that the few letters to the editor and articles are not enough to bring about change and there is a need for political will and public pressure to make a meaningful impact.
Professor Sukalpa Bhattacharjee, Department of English, NEHU, Dr Binayak Dutta, Department of History, NEHU and David Laitphlang President of the Shillong Press Club were the judges of the competition.
