Shillong, Sep 23: A meeting between the state government and a delegation from the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) was held at the Secretariat here today.
After the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of the Transport Department, Sniawbhalang Dhar, described the discussion as fruitful. The government, he said, requires time to study AKMTTA’s proposal and formulate a concrete decision.
“We came to a conclusion today that we need some time to come up with a concrete decision,” Dhar said, adding that the government and the association are on the same page.
The AKMTTA launched an agitation on September 16 to protest the operation of tourist taxis from other states, particularly Assam, in Meghalaya’s tourist spots. Following a backlash from Assam transporters and discussions with state authorities, the AKMTTA suspended its agitation.
The AKMTTA had proposed the so-called Sikkim model to restrict tourist taxis from other states.
Dhar assured AKMTTA representatives that he has instructed the Chief Secretary and Transport Commissioner to consult and study the policies of states like Sikkim, Karnataka and Maharashtra to inform their decision-making process. A decision is expected soon, with the government aiming to ensure all stakeholders are on board.
Meanwhile, the AKMTTA informed that the government and the association will meet again in a fortnight’s time.
Balajied Jyrwa, AKMTTA spokesperson, said that the government cannot take any decision at the moment since the matter is in the court.
Jyrwa also said that during the meeting it was decided that the committee to study the demands of the tourist taxi association, which was earlier headed by the Tourism Department, will now be headed by the Transport Department.
Previously, the Tourism Department, under Paul Lyngdoh, was largely unsympathetic towards the AKMTTA’s demands as it feared – along with most other tourism stakeholders – that preventing the free movement of tourist taxis would harm Meghalaya’s burgeoning tourism sector. However, Lyngdoh is now out of the department following a cabinet reshuffle last week and there does not seem to be the same impetus from the new minister, Timothy D Shira.
On the issue of parking for Meghalaya vehicles in the Guwahati railway station and airport, Jyrwa said the government suggested giving a subsidy to the drivers and the AKMTTA will discuss this proposal among its members.
Jyrwa also said that the AKMTTA’s demand to ban taxis from Assam to ferry tourists in Meghalaya’s interior was not done overnight, but rules and regulations exist in other states and nothing extra was demanded from the government. “Our demands are not something which is illegal or illegitimate,” he added.
