The Meghalaya government last year released the ambitious Shillong Urban Mobility Policy (SUMP) 2024 with its targets for major shifts in the way the state capital’s residents move about.
As part of this, the Parking Policy for Urban Areas 2025 envisions Meghalaya’s cities as vibrant, well-connected and inclusive, where people and goods can move seamlessly – all a far cry from the present messy scenario.
SUMP has 30-30-30 targets – 30 percent mode share in public transport, allocate 30 percent road space to non-motorised transport and shift 30 percent of private vehicle trips to shared mobility.
In line with the policy, the state government, in collaboration with stakeholders, has designed several push and pull interventions to try and address the mobility challenges in the city. Some of the planned pull measures include improving the public transportation, augmenting pedestrian infrastructure, expanding shared mobility services, redesigning streets and junctions.
Additionally, the state is taking steps to address the growing demand for parking by augmenting the parking infrastructure in Shillong and other cities. Several parking projects are currently in progress, aimed at increasing the overall supply of parking spaces throughout Shillong.
These projects are designed not only to accommodate the rising number of vehicles but also to alleviate congestion and improve the overall urban mobility experience for residents and visitors.
Looking ahead, the government is planning to implement a range of push measures to further enhance the adoption of sustainable transportation modes and support the city’s long-term urban development goals.
These measures include parking reforms, stricter enforcements and other regulatory measures. The parking policy ultimately envisions parking ecosystems that lead to congestion-free streets and the promotion of a sustainable transport system to improve ease of living.
Given the varying parking demands across different cities and localities, area parking plans (APPs) will be developed at the area level rather than for individual streets. Areas shall broadly align with wards in municipal areas and localities in non-municipal areas.
According to the parking policy the number of vehicles in Shillong is growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.47 percent, with 93 percent of new vehicle registrations being for private vehicles.
Following Shillong, Tura has the highest vehicle registration in the state, with a CAGR of 6.8 percent. Tura leads in two-wheelers as a share of vehicles registered, accounting for 62 percent (59,000) of total vehicle registration.
The Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Shillong (2024) indicates that 82 percent of households in the city own either a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler, while 32 percent of households own more than one vehicle.
Private vehicles remain parked approximately 95 percent of the time, exerting significant pressure on limited urban land. In Shillong, parking is predominantly characterised by unregulated on-street parking, which is often free.
According to the CMP, a parking survey revealed that major roads in Shillong’s core areas, including Laitumukhrah, the road outside Phan Nonglait Park (formerly Lady Hydari Park), Barik Point and Laban Last Stop, experience acute on-street parking congestion.
During peak hours, parking demand exceeds 100 percent in these areas, reducing the available road space for vehicular movement by 30-40 percent. Unorganised on-street parking is a major contributor to traffic congestion in Shillong. “Vehicles circulating in search of parking spaces further exacerbate congestion and result in substantial economic losses. Within the jurisdiction of the Shillong Municipal Board, the annual opportunity cost lost due to traffic congestion is estimated at Rs 550 crore,” the policy states.
