Cab operators in Assam continued to block the entry of Meghalaya-registered vehicles on the Guwahati-Shillong road for the second successive day on Friday (August 21, 2026), following the August 19 attacks on Assam-registered vehicles during a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) rally in Shillong.

Shillong, Meghalaya’s capital, is about 95 km from Guwahati, Assam’s principal city and the hub of commerce and connectivity in the northeast. The Guwahati-Shillong road is a lifeline for half of Meghalaya.

The blockade at Jorabat and Khanapara, entry points to Shillong, disrupted the movement of passengers and goods between the two States. The situation remained tense despite the Chief Ministers of the two States calling for peace and restraint.

“We will not relent unless the Meghalaya government punishes all those who damaged vehicles and assaulted people during a rally. We also want the Meghalaya government to pay for the damages and ensure such hooliganism, a recurring phenomenon in Shillong, does not happen again,” an Assam State Drivers’ Association member said.

Apart from ambulances and vehicles on emergency duties, no Meghalaya-registered vehicles were allowed to enter Assam. These included vehicles carrying paramilitary and Central government officials.

Similarly, members of Meghalaya taxi operators’ associations and other organisations prevented Assam-registered vehicles from entering the State at Byrnihat. Among those who were turned back was a legislator from southern Assam’s Barak Valley.

Much of the Guwahati-Shillong road connects Barak Valley and parts of Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura to the rest of the country.

The Meghalaya Taxi Drivers’ Association said it had suspended operations between Shillong and Guwahati and threatened to stop taxi services from Assam to Meghalaya if the current situation was not addressed.

The blockade has forced passengers travelling between Assam and Meghalaya to change vehicles at the inter-State border. Many tourists and people travelling in Assam-registered vehicles, unable to move due to the blockade, have been stranded in Shillong and other tourist destinations in Meghalaya, primarily Cherrapunji, or Sohra.

Goods-carrying vehicles have also been stranded on both sides of the inter-State border. Assam transporters reportedly barred vehicles carrying fuel and domestic and commercial gas from entering Meghalaya.

The Assam government has activated WhatsApp (9181014888) and landline (03612381511) helpline numbers for people stranded in Meghalaya and facing difficulties there. Assam Police urged family members, relatives or anyone with information about individuals or vehicles stranded in Meghalaya to share the details through the helplines.

Meanwhile, authorities in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district issued an advisory on Friday, listing alternative routes for people travelling to or from Guwahati. The authorities suggested at least two options to reach or return from hospitals, the airport or railway stations in Guwahati.

People in Meghalaya largely depend on the airport and railway stations in Guwahati to reach destinations across the country and beyond.

Published - August 21, 2026 07:20 pm IST