Staff Reporter
Shillong, May 05: The woes of commuters traveling by taxis in Shillong city seem to be unending. The traffic police have recently taken different measures like identifying embarkation points at Khyndai Lad for various destinations in the city and drives by the traffic police for over loading of passengers by cabbies among others.
However, these measures have backfired on the hapless commuters. Several people who commute by taxis have complained that due to the drive on restriction in the number of passengers a taxi driver can take, cabbies are arbitrarily overcharging fares. The cabbies too are objecting to the drive taken by the traffic police to keep a check on over loading. The taxi drivers contend that with the present system of limited passenger in-take, there has been a drastic fall in their earnings.
“We have no other option but to hike our fares arbitrarily,” one cabbie stated.
However, the biggest loser in all this free-for-all is the poor commuter. Either the cabbie refuses to pick up short distance commuters or increases the rate. “A passenger who pays Rs five for short distances has to dole out Rs seven or even Rs 10 for such trips,” an angry commuter complained.
Passengers have also complained that taxi drivers are often rude to them and are an arrogant and indisciplined lot when confronted with. “Apart from refusing to take in passengers traveling short distances, these taxi drivers will also refuse to carry people with children or with belongings,” an elderly lady said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills, Jopthiaw Lyngdoh, said that the Motor Vehicle Act does not possess laid down rules for fixing rates in a shared taxi system.
He also pointed out that the shared taxi system is common only in Shillong. “No other city in the country has such a system of sharing taxis,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
He also said that a meeting will be convened soon with all concerned agencies to discuss ways and means for streamlining the traffic system in the city.