Passengers suffer as cabbies refuse carpooling

SHILLONG: Undue harassment by taxi drivers continues unabated as passengers scramble to get taxis to Barik Point, IGP, Kachari even as the taxi drivers do not mind robbing the passengers of their money by agreeing only for bookings.
As a group of reporters waited for taxis to ferry them to Barik or IGP point from Motphran, many of the taxi drivers refused to take neither the journalists nor other passengers. The passengers remained stranded at Motphran, who are at the mercy of taxi drivers.
Interestingly, the drivers would park their vehicles at Motphran in front of Mahari store but would refuse to ferry passengers and would leave the area only when a traffic personnel would reprimand them.
It is surprising to see that the taxi drivers would give excuse saying they were on “school duty”, but would jump at the prospect of booking the entire taxi.
The reporters finally booked a vehicle for Rs 100 from Motphran to IGP. Initially, the driver had asked for Rs 150.
Most of the drivers, citing increase in petrol price, complain of the traffic jam which makes it difficult for them to earn.
The reporters wondered how they would react to sick and poor persons and whether they would continue to charge exorbitant rate by resorting to booking.
It is not uncommon to see people scrambling to get taxis in Khyndai Lad, Motphran and arrogant drivers not ferrying the passengers.