Shillong’s taxi drivers are at it again: overcharging their annoyed passengers.
The taxi driver association has an interesting justification for this, though. It is to dissuade the public from using taxis!
For the past one week, black and yellow cabs have been charging more than the rate prescribed by the authorities.
“Today I was charged Rs 50 from Nongmensong to IGP in a shared taxi,” an aggrieved commuter, S Lyngdoh, said. Last week, another passenger had to pay Rs 50 in a shared taxi from Polo to Rynjah when the official fare is fixed at Rs 30.
Wandonbok Jyrwa, president of the East Khasi Hills Local Taxi and Welfare Association, said the fares were raised by the association, after a meeting with the Shillong Traffic Police, in order to reduce the number of passengers in the taxis due to the surge in Covid-19 cases.
“It is not an order of the government (to hike the fares). This decision was taken (by the association) after the traffic police suggested that the number of passengers ferried by us should be reduced in the wake of the spread of the Covid-19 virus,” Jyrwa stated. “We understand the plight of the commuters, but we have to take precautions in this situation. I urge the public to demand the rate book from taxi drivers if they feel that the fares are too high.”
He also criticised the Shillong Public Transport Service (SPTS) buses and Shillong Supplementary Public Transport Service (SSTPS) maxi cabs for overloading their vehicles with passengers despite the surge of coronavirus cases.
