The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has slammed the decision taken by the State government to apply the odd-even formula for passenger vehicles and taxis going towards Khyndai Lad and Motphran in the city.
In a statement issued today, VPP spokesperson Dr. Batskhem Myrboh said the decision of the government directly affects the poor section of society who has to depend on commercial vehicles as a means of livelihood and also to reach their destination.
“The step taken by the government is unacceptable as it amounts to blaming the poor for the traffic jam in Shillong in general and Police Bazar – Iewduh in particular. This is nothing but an elitist approach towards the problem. It is a known fact that the vehicles from the neighbouring state, while contributing little if anything to the state’s exchequer, has been the main cause of traffic jams in the area. But the government, it seems, is oblivious to this, but decided to fix the problem by taking action against the vulnerable and voiceless section of the society,” Dr. Myrboh said.
The VPP spokesperson said that the government should instead step in to provide incentives for the expansion and strengthen the public transport systems in the city looking at the issue of job creation, revenue generation and environment.
“The government has to allot and designate proper parking, embarkation and disembarkation for public transport in all parts of the city for the welfare and convenience of the public. Therefore, the party demands that the decision of the government should be revoked immediately,” he added.
In compliance with the Meghalaya High Court’s order to address the traffic congestion in the city, the East Khasi Hills District Deputy Commissioner has on June 1 ordered for implementation of the ‘odd-even’ method for passenger vehicles entering Khyndai Lad and Motphran.
According to the order, all public transport vehicles, including SPTS buses, SSPTS maxi cabs, and black and yellow local taxis operating from Kashari Point towards Police Bazaar and Motphran, will follow an odd-even rotation system.
This means that vehicles with registration numbers ending in odd digits (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) will ply on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while those with registration numbers ending in even digits (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) will ply on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The odd-even rule will not be applicable on Sundays.
In addition to the rotation system, the order emphasises the importance of having a High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) for every vehicle.
Furthermore, it requires vehicle owners to keep a copy of the vehicle’s Registration Certificate available for inspection at any given time.
“Strict action, including the revocation of driver’s licenses, will be taken against those found driving with tampered number plates, in accordance with relevant provisions of the law,” the order said.
Opposing the order, local taxi operators said the new arrangement would affect the livelihood of taxi owners and taxi drivers. They also reminded the government that taxis are paying hefty taxes and disallowing them to ply through these two commercial areas would cause huge financial loss on them.
The taxi operators also asked the government to find out the real cause of the traffic jam in Shillong. “To say that taxis are the only cause contributing to the traffic jam is not acceptable as there are also many private vehicles plying in the city,” they said.
