Shillong, March 8: The Meghalaya High Court on Friday directed the district administration to take legal action against new encroachments of street space by illegal street vendors even as it sought an action taken report on the implementation of policies, plans and proposals to make the capital of Meghalaya-Shillong region, a modern, clean and well administered city.

Passing an order after hearing a PIL on the matter, the bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh said, “…we direct that the respondents shall on war footing , implement the policies, plans and proposals contained in the report (prepared by the Commissioner and Secretary incharge Urban Affairs department).”

“In the intervening period, the administration will keep a very strict vigilance in the city to identify, remove and prevent new encroachments of street space by illegal street vendors and take legal steps against them , shall continue to penalise errant vehicle drivers with fine for disobedience to traffic rules and for parking in no parking areas and to generally ensure that there is no reduction of available road space by encroachment made by street vendors, by illegal parking and so on,” it said.

“We make this PIL returnable on 8th May, 2025. By 6th May, 2025, the Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Urban Affairs Department will file another report showing further action which has been taken in this regard,” the bench also directed.

The report of the Commissioner and Secretary in-charge Urban Affairs Department has informed that a survey of street vendors in Shillong was initiated. The Provisional Town Vending Committee held three meetings on 5th December, 2024, 5th February, 2025 and 14th February, 2025.

It has identified 25 locations for street vending across Shillong, to accommodate 1400 vendors effective from 7th February, 2025.

An official notification has been issued for relocation of a substantial number of vendors. The report says that this exercise was “to streamline vendor operations and ensure a smooth transition to the new vending areas”.

A State Level Committee has been constituted to coordinate regulation of traffic and street movement in seven zones at Sardar Traffic Branch, Lumdiengjri Traffic Branch, Laitumkhrah Traffic Branch,
Madanriting Traffic Branch, Rynjah Traffic Branch, Mawlai Traffic Branch and Laban Traffic Branch .

The Committee is to recommend parking and “no parking zones”. It is to collaborate with the local bodies and to get approved and demarcate “parking” and “no parking zones ”.
Furthermore, the bench said that a very healthy move has been taken by the administration to formulate a parking policy called Shillong Parking Policy, 2025.

The administration has proposed to acquire and launch a fleet of 35 modern, technologically advanced and “comfortable buses” that would reduce use of private transport on the city roads.

It has also initiated the Shared Mobility Initiative (STEMS) project by which the school going children would be persuaded or their parents requested to allow the students to commute in the buses acquired under the above policy from their homes to school and back home .

Additional Advocate General took us to paragraph 3 (iii) of the report to show that
whereas in April, 2023, there was only one bus with 10 per cent occupancy , in February, 2025, there were 29 buses with 100 per cent occupancy by school students .

“Undoubtedly, the successful implementation of this policy will reduce the usual traffic congestion during the time of start of school hours and closing of the school for the day. Another move which the administration has taken is to contemplate introduction of street parking infrastructure. We are confident that if this entire set of policies, plans and projects is implemented, it would go a long way to achieve the purposes of this PIL,” the bench said.

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