Editor,
Kindly refer to the news item published in your newspaper today (April 21, 2022) under the heading “Planning hasn’t kept up with Shillong traffic” by Toki Blah.
I fully agree with the views expressed by Toki Blah. However, I would like to add. The real solution lies with decentralisation of traffic generating activities. For example, it is a common experience that during school hours, all the traffic is generated towards Laitumkhrah. If we can decentralise all the good schools at different corners of the town with a condition that they will have to give preference to the students living nearby, it will reduce the traffic jams in the city.
For example, St. Edmund’s is a very good school and they have the technical know-how to run an educational institute if the government comes forward to provide them with free land, say for example somewhere in Mawlai and they build a school there. Similarly, other good institutes which are performing well can be diverted in different locations of Shillong after conducting a proper study of the demand and supply.
I have just narrated one example. But there are many such activities which generate traffic and need long term planning.
