SHILLONG: Celebrating a decade of struggle and solidarity, the Meghalaya & Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association held a dialogue on Saturday deliberating on “Why is Shillong Still Stuck?”
Complaining about Shillong’s traffic or even using it as a convenient excuse has almost become the norm. Yet we seldom see open conversations about what can actually be done. Hoping to change that, students, researchers, social workers, taxi drivers and street vendors came together to discuss congestion, public transport and inclusion in the city.
The Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) leader Angela Rangad opened the discussion by emphasizing holding those responsible accountable rather than looking for “scapegoats”. She said hawkers in the city were initially blamed for causing traffic; however, despite relocating them, traffic congestion remains the same.
Shweta Vernekar, the senior programme associate at Parisar, an organisation which focuses on sustainable urban mobility, non-motorized transport and air quality, began her presentation with a question, “What kind of a city do we want to live in?”
As Shillong continues to focus on road widening, flyovers, New Shillong, parking spaces, and hawkers, Vernekar left the audience with yet another question, “Are we trying to move people or cars?”
Vernekar mentioned Enrique Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, who created a bus rapid transit system that revolutionized urban transport in Bogotá. He emphasized that building more roads or overpasses for private vehicles does not solve traffic; rather, it induces demand. Every time lanes are added, it encourages more people to drive, which quickly leads to the exact same levels of congestion.
Taking examples of how commute time in the United States has increased by 20%, and how new lanes filled up within five years in Bangkok and Houston, Vernekar introduced an image of cities turning into parking lots.
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Referring to the Shillong Urban Mobility Policy-2024, Vernekar stated that Shillong has five major means of transport at present. Non-motorized transport is at 12%, Intermediate Public Transport at 41%, Public Transport at 11% and private vehicles at 31%. By 2030, the goal is to prioritize and shift Non-Motorized Transport to 35%, Intermediate Public Transport to 15%, Public Transport to 30%, private vehicles to 10% and shared mobility to 10%.
As the city aims to achieve this goal within the next four years, participants in the dialogue offered several suggestions and raised important concerns. They emphasized the need for greater transparency and advocated for designing the city with marginalized communities in mind, as they constitute a significant proportion of the population. Participants stressed that urban planning should prioritize pedestrians and uphold people’s right to accessible public spaces and services.
It was also pointed out that the Smart City Plan was formulated nearly a decade ago, and many of its assumptions and priorities may no longer be relevant. Instead of relying on outdated frameworks, participants argued that the city should adopt a co-creation approach, actively involving citizens in shaping future interventions.
Another major concern was the lack of accountability among the agencies responsible for operating bus services. When asked why people increasingly avoid public buses, one participant reflected that they had regularly used buses while growing up, but that the current system suffers from poor management, unreliable schedules, and a lack of dependable service, making it an unattractive option.
In response to these concerns, Vernekar referred to an initiative in Pune, where their organization advocated for a commitment to improve access to public transport information through a mobile application. This effort eventually led to the launch of Apli PMPML, which provides commuters with bus-related information and real-time updates, making public transport more accessible and user-friendly.
Speaking to Ukhrul Times, Rangad said, “Why is Shillong still stuck? We are stuck in many ways whether it is healthcare, education, water, garbage, but the thing which seems to irritate people the most and is a priority is traffic.
“We wanted citizens to come together to discuss the issues on traffic and we also had people from outside who have experience on this, who did a beautiful sharing about how everywhere else the solution has been public transport,” Rangad stated.
Raising questions for all to reflect upon, Rangad asked, “Why is Shillong still resistant? Why are we still imagining expansion of roads when that expansion will bring more cars? Why are we not thinking of making the city more walkable, more cyclable?”
