SHILLONG: The state government is unlikely to resort to another hike in taxi fares, even as taxi drivers and passengers have their own share of woes.
An official said that the government would not tinker with the revised rates as was notified on January 13 this year. The rates are for hired taxis and not for shared taxis. As per the revised rate, the fare for journey by local taxi, with maximum four occupants, shall be Rs 26 for the first km and Rs 13 for every subsequent km or part thereof.
The passengers will also be charged Rs 7 for every 5 minutes or part thereof for detaining a local taxi, the notification says.
Since June 8, taxis have begun operating in Shillong Region on odd-even basis. Although this new arrangement has brought about a visible reduction in traffic congestion, the plight of both the cabbies and the commuters has hardly eased.
The habitual taxi passengers, it seems, are shy to use taxis out of fear for COVID infection. Many of them have said that the taxis are hardly maintaining health protocol. There is no sanitisation of seats and door handles. Besides, the cab drivers do not use PPE like gloves etc. “We don’t feel safe to ride a taxi these days”, said a commuter from Laban.
The cabbies, on the other hand, appear to be caught in a catch-22 situation.
They can neither overload like pre-COVID days nor are getting ready clients. However, they seem to have found their own way to make it work; they have passed on the burden on those who cannot do without taxi service. “The taxis have doubled the fares”, complained one passenger. Another taxi-user said he was happy to pay a little more if taxis are willing to allow him to hire the entire cab instead of sharing with other passengers.
A Transport department official said that there has to be an understanding between the driver and the passenger and maintained that the system of sharing taxi should be regulated. “The general norm for taxis is to provide services to up to the doorstep of the client. It is a contract. But if the passengers want to share a taxi nobody can prevent”, the official said.
There is a misunderstanding amongst the passengers as the official maintained that nowhere in the world the practice of sharing taxis is done. The government has fixed the rate and it is all up to the public.
A taxi driver, B. Nongbri said that the price of petrol has increased recently and therefore he has decided to levy an additional Rs 10 over the prevailing rate. Another driver, Dilip argued that the drivers are compelled to take only two passengers and the drivers have no choice but to increase the rate.
He said that the Laban taxi fare has increased from Rs 15 to Rs 30 or even Rs 40. “We have no choice. Only those who have urgent work, they take a cab otherwise they take a walk, even my regular passengers also have started to walk”, said one cabbie.
A commuter standing nearby said, “They have no other choice but to increase. Now people are suffering”.
Another commuter, Sniawphi Warbah said the fares are too prohibitive and said, “It’s too much even for working people also”.
