Shillong, July 2: Following the recent government order against use of private vehicles for commercial purpose, especially as tourist taxis, fines have been imposed on such vehicles found violating the norm.

Informing this on Wednesday, deputy chief minister in-charge Transport, Sniawbhalang Dhar, said the government is imposing fines on the violators, particularly private scooties used for commercial purposes.
The fresh government order against use of private vehicles in commercial purpose was issued after the sensational murder of a Indore-based tourist, Raja Raghuvanshi, in Sohra on June 23. He and his wife Sonam, one the prime accused in the case, hired a private scooty from Shillong to visit Sohra.
“I have asked the transport officers to take action accordingly especially after the murder case,” Dhar told reporters.

He reiterated that private vehicles cannot operate like commercial vehicles, saying, “The government is aware of the issue and has held meetings to ensure that private vehicles are not used for commercial purpose without proper authorisation.”
On roadside parking, Dhar highlighted that the government has recently introduced a policy to regulate it, and the situation has improved over the past few months.
Dhar appealed to the public to cooperate with the government in resolving the traffic congestion in Shillong, emphasizing that it is a collective responsibility.
