Opposition MLAs Charles Pyngrope (NongthymmaI) of the Trinamool Congress and Ronnie Lyngdoh (Mylliem) of the Congress Party were broadly positive about the effect of the Sustainable Transport and Efficient Mobility Society (STEMS) schools buses that have been introduced in Shillong over the last few years.
Pyngrope told the Assembly today in the general discussion on the 2025-26 budget that traffic poses a major hindrance in Greater Shillong, especially in Nongthymmai.
He cited a report where 88 per cent of parents reported satisfaction with STEMS services, 94 per cent of parent stress is reduced to STEMS, 82 per cent of students feel less stress during travelling to school, etc. A greater push for the use of STEMS buses would result in a drastic reduction in traffic congestion, savings for families and employment for bus drivers and attendants.
STEMS has become a success, Pyngrope opined, and the government must ensure that all schools start using these buses to reduce traffic congestion in and around Shillong.
He also urged the government to identify proper places to store vehicles involved in accidents, which have otherwise become part of the landscape. The MLA also said that his constituency has not received any schemes for better or wider roads.
Lyngdoh, meanwhile, pointed out that while many towns and villages have secondary and higher secondary schools, students at the college level are often forced to take up courses in Shillong as there are a dearth of colleges outside the state capital.
This, the Mylliem MLA said, contributed to traffic congestion in Shillong. He thus suggested that if the government set up more colleges in all streams in constituencies close to Shillong, it would ease traffic problems faced by the people.
Echoing similar views to Pyngrope, he said that the STEMS buses have helped to ease traffic and urged the government to expand the service to Upper Shillong and Mylliem.
Amlarem MLA Lahkmen Rymbui of the United Democratic Party (UDP) also pushed for a government school and college in New Shillong. According to Rymbui, the state government has invested nearly Rs 4,000 crore in the New Shillong Township and it is high time for land to be allocated for a government school and college in the NST.
He also stressed on the importance of proper road expansion and connectivity in the NST, as land is still available and not congested.
Rymbui’s party colleague, Nujorki Sungoh (Mowkaiaw), pushed for a college in his constituency as people from Sahsniang, Barato and Mukroh have to travel up to 30 or 40km to get to existing institutions in Jowai and Shangpung.
He also said that many villages are yet to see the CM Connect scheme materialise and that his constituency needs special consideration for the creation of a primary health centre for border residents. Sungoh also pointed out that a village like Mookhap, with a population of over 3,000, still does not even have a health sub-centre.
