The State government is in the process of introducing school buses for students studying in schools across the city.
This was revealed by the government during the hearing of a PIL filed by local lawyer Philip Khrawbok Shati in the division bench of Meghalaya High Court today.
During the hearing, Advocate General Amit Kumar said that the government has approached various schools in the city to convince them regarding the use of school buses.
Kumar also informed the court that 82 per cent of parental support has been obtained for students to be ferried in school buses to be provided by the State government.
He also said that a society has been formed for the purpose of ensuring that school students avail the additional public transport system proposed to be introduced for them so that the number of private vehicles crowding around the schools may go down.
Kumar said that the State government proposed to acquire 50 to 60 buses for the purpose.
He also said that some 53 STPS buses which are old and disused have been disposed of and a substantial amount generated for investment in better traffic management.
“The exercise is continuing to identify other buses which are in an advanced state of disrepair to dispose of the same, if they are not viable to be repaired,” he said.
Kumar also told the High Court that a proposal has been submitted to the World Bank for financing the acquisition of electric buses in order to ensure better flow of traffic and less pollution.
On the steps to reduce traffic jams in the city, apart from the Western By-Pass that needs to be completed on an urgent basis, certain suggestions have been made during the hearing to connect certain other stretches on the outskirts of Shillong so that traffic in Shillong proper is eased.
It was also mentioned that the road from Upper Shillong to the Air Force Station housing the Shillong Peak has been recently repaired and extended but the road on the Laitkor side remains virtually unmotorable.
The court said that if the road on the Laitkor side is repaired, it can act as a diversion for traffic from the Jaintia Hills side not intending to stop in Shillong.
“The specific suggestions in such regard, where existing roads may be widened, expanded or extended, may be submitted when the matter appears next, a week hence,” the court said.
