Shillong: Six months after the Meghalaya government introduced stricter rules to curb VIP culture by restricting sirens, flashers, and tinted windows, many local commuters report little change on the streets. While the standard operating procedures aimed to reduce visible privileges, residents say vehicles frequently still use sirens to bypass traffic. Citizens often struggle to distinguish between emergency responders, who are rightfully permitted to use sirens, and VIPs who may be misusing their status to skip congestion.
The issue has sparked a debate over public perception, with many motorists arguing that while ambulances deserve priority, they remain skeptical about the necessity of other sirens encountered during their daily commutes. For many, the government policy appears to be effective only on paper rather than in practice.
Simultaneously, the city is struggling with a resurgence of street hawkers despite ongoing legal efforts to control encroachments. New stalls have appeared along the footpaths of Motphran and GS Road, with vendors now occupying both sides of the thoroughfare and narrowing paths for pedestrians. This expansion has caused increased congestion in the city center.
The problem reaches beyond the heart of Shillong, as vendors continue to occupy the Right of Way along the new Shillong-Dawki road. Near the NEIGRIHMS hospital, a long-standing concentration of hawkers continues to block the main road, complicating access for patients and commuters. The High Court of Meghalaya is currently addressing the situation through a Public Interest Litigation focused on the potential relocation of these vendors.
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