Bike taxis have urged the government to pass an interim order and allow them to function as commercial vehicles until the Transport department notifies rules for two-wheelers.
Two-wheeler taxis were recently banned by the East Khasi Hills District Transport Office. The office said that taxi aggregators and bike-taxis have to register and apply for a licence prior to commencement of operations as per the Meghalaya Taxi Aggregator Operational Rules, 2020.
According to the bike taxis under the banner of the Two Wheelers Taxi Association (TWTA) they were not aware of the rules. “The two-year-old notification was never widely publicized and even the aggregator service providers did not make us riders aware of its provisions regarding conversion of private motor bikes / two wheelers into Commercial motorbikes/two wheelers,” the association said.
“We are not aware that the government has any specific notified rules about commercial permits for two wheeler taxis, therefore government should immediately issue interim orders and allow us to ply our two wheeler taxi services,” association general secretary, Khrawkular Mawkon told reporters.
He said most of the riders are self-employed young men and women whose only source of livelihood for some time has been in providing two wheeler taxi services and the ban on the services has put most of them in great distress.
“Many of us have taken loans to buy our bikes and scooters to do this. Now with this action by the government we are staring at a bleak future,” he added.
The association also met with the Transport Commissioner and Secretary today and urged the government to amend the rules and to allow rider owned associations/SHGS and co-operatives to operate aggregator services with the support from the government.
In a memorandum, the association suggested that the government should help the association through the start up brand to create aggregator apps which are responsive to the local conditions and for the welfare of the riders, a designated bike taxi stand in all important areas of the cities and towns.
“Like Four wheeler Offline/Hailing Taxi services operational in the state, even two wheeler taxi services should allowed to be an offline/hailing service and rules and fares for this should also be notified soon. Designated coloured number plates/ helmets be used to indicate such services,” the association said, adding, that the government should encourage driver/rider owned taxi services not private, monopolistic companies.
