Shillong: Heavy truck traffic on the Mawryngkneng-Jorabat highway is forcing drivers into a dangerous corner. The All Meghalaya Truck Owners, Drivers and Welfare Association (AMTODWA) is pushing for designated parking after a joint inspection with officials from the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday revealed a severe lack of safe stopping points.
While Assam features functional lay-bys, the Meghalaya stretch remains barren. Trucks often crawl all the way to Jorabat just to find a legal place to pull over. AMTODWA vice president Dapkupar Nongrum noted one promising site in Assam, but it is currently choked with piles of dirt and trash. He wants the authorities to clear it out immediately.
NHIDCL claims they have already opened two lay-bys on the Jorabat-Barapani stretch, specifically at Km Ch 2+200 to 2+450 and Km Ch 3+450 to 4+070, plus another at Km Ch 104+000 on the Jowai-Ratacherra road. Even so, the association argues these spots do not cut it. General secretary W Warlarpih pointed to an unused space at Umdihar held by a construction firm, but the company refuses to open it without official government clearance.
The current lack of space creates constant friction with police who regularly order drivers off the road. Nongrum is pleading for patience. "Drivers need a safe place to park, rest and carry out basic checks of their vehicles. Proper lay-bys would go a long way in addressing these problems," he said.
The association is now urging NHIDCL to lobby the government for access to large plots of state-owned land. They plan to keep scouting for space while asking police to hold off on tickets until actual facilities are built.
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