Shillong, Aug 12: The Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills today announced that the entire stretch from Khyndailad towards Umsohsun, which runs in front of the MUDA building and down to Dreamland, will be pedestrian-only from Wednesday.
However, pedestrians may want to refrain from rejoicing as the restriction only applies for five hours per day, from 4pm to 9pm.
After a long-drawn out process, hawkers and street vendors were removed from the stretch of Khyndailad down to Dreamland last month. However, while this gave pedestrians more space to move about, it also encouraged vehicles to use the route, thereby bypassing the oftentimes gridlocked traffic on the main Police Bazar road.
While four-wheelers honk their horns incessantly, two-wheelers often weave dangerously among the people walking along the route. All of this makes a mockery of the government’s aims in removing the hawkers from this area.
Government spokesperson and cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh had promised last month that vehicular movement along this stretch would be restricted if not prohibited for 14 hours per day, with exceptions only for residents with car passes. The modalities of this do not appear to have been worked out yet and the DC made no reference to them in her brief order today.
Lyngdoh last month had also said that the move to pedestrianise the area is part of a larger plan to transform Khyndailad into a gateway hub for Shillong and Meghalaya. “Khyndailad is set to become an entry point and an urban cultural space, reflecting the branding of Shillong as India’s music capital. Signage will be redesigned, tiles upgraded or replaced and evenings will feature musical performances for the public,” he said.
The tiles certainly do need an upgrade. Many of them have shifted over the years, due to footfall and vehicular pressure as well as rain, leading to an uncomfortable and dangerous walking experience that is liable to get people wet and dirty when rainwater collects and forms dirty puddles along the route.
