GUWAHATI: Tourist taxi and cab driver associations here have decided to stage an indefinite strike from Monday demanding protection after at least “four vehicles” were attacked by miscreants in the Mawlai area of Shillong since Friday.
The Greater Guwahati Tourist Tata Sumo Drivers Welfare Association, Indica (Diesel) Tourist Taxi Drivers Association and the Greater Guwahati Tourist Taxi Association will submit a memorandum to the transport minister, commissioner and the district administration on Monday, seeking security for vehicles plying to and from the Meghalaya capital.
The situation in Shillong is still tense with an indefinite curfew clamped in certain areas following clashes over the past four days.
“At least four vehicles were attacked by miscreants in the Mawlai area of Shillong since Friday. Passengers and drivers have been injured as well. The three associations have now decided to resort to an indefinite strike from Monday. We will submit a memorandum to the transport minister and the district administration demanding protection,” Brajen Kumar Das, the president of Greater Guwahati Tourist Tata Sumo Drivers Welfare Association told The Shillong Times on Sunday.
Over 1000 vehicles under the three associations ply to and from at least four state capitals of the Northeast everyday. However, services to Shillong have been affected with only about “30 per cent” of the vehicles plying to and from the city since June 1.
The otherwise busy Paltan Bazar was relatively less chaotic on Sunday afternoon even as some passengers were seen inside Meghalaya registered vehicles.
“We are risking lives of both passengers and drivers in this situation. As it is, there is a noticeable reluctance among tourists to travel to Shillong with most of them staying put in hotels here, apparently waiting for normality to return, which is what we are hoping as well. Our drivers too are apprehensive as Assam-registered vehicles have been attacked by stone throwers without any provocation,” Das said.
Meghalaya has seen clashes between locals and “outsiders” in the past and the recent violence is a reflection of it. However, it has been quite some time since taxi operators from here have been attacked in Shillong.
“The last time when such a situation occurred was in about two decades back. Now we can only hope this unrest shall soon pass. It affects us economically as well and our livelihoods are at stake,” he said.