Amid a hue and cry to relocate hawkers from different stretches of Shillong, scores of vendors have established their business along the newly-built Shillong-Upper Shillong four-lane road. Although several stretches of this road are incomplete, rows of 10-20 stalls have imparted the finished portions an unkempt look.
The hawkers have also become a risk-for themselves and those zooming past in vehicles of all kinds. People stopping their vehicles to buy an assortment of goods and eatables indicate the hawkers are doing brisk business, but this has increased the risk of accidents, given the fact that Meghalaya has had a few cases where speeding vehicles fatally hit roadside vendors.
One of the most critical stretches where stalls have come up is the newly constructed bypass. Some more stalls have been set up along the road going to Shillong Peak and at the junction near the Elephant Falls. Road users allege that the authorities concerned, including the NHIDCL and the district administration, have turned a blind eye to the problem caused by the hawkers. It is feared that the indifference would encourage more hawkers to set up stalls.