Around 20 Rapido bike taxi captains were caught off guard today when they were hired and then penalised by the enforcement wing of the District Transport Office.
According to the captains, mostly college students who are engaged as part-time were initially hired to transport passengers to Laitumkhrah from different locations. However, when they reached the chosen destination, they were asked to produce documents and fined Rs 10,000 on the spot.
The captains said their two-wheelers were also confiscated at the Laitumkhrah police station.
“I asked about this sudden action, and they presented a letter from the DTO to the SP, who was supposed to pass it on to the local police station”, one of the captains said. He argued that such actions should first be made public. One cannot simply enforce them without ensuring that everyone is aware of the law.”
After a dialogue on the matter, the captains were able to retrieve the keys to their two-wheelers from the DTO office.
“We have registered as rapido captains, and the company would have paid the tax to the government to operate in Meghalaya. If a permit is necessary, they should speak to Rapido about it since we pay them for every trip. Therefore, the company should bear the taxes,” a former rapido captain opined.
He criticised the sudden crackdown and the hefty fine, stating that it only causes chaos and difficulties for the captains who are simply trying to make a living during these challenging times.
