GUWAHATI: Members of the All India Road Transport Workers Federation (AIRTWF), Assam state committee, and the Coordination Committee of Cab Operators, who are demanding withdrawal of the travel restrictions imposed on Meghalaya-bound tourist taxis and other commercial vehicles, have decided to take a call on their next course of action after a meeting here on Friday.
Earlier, the organisations had threatened to intensify its agitation if the travel restrictions were not relaxed by Thursday. Members of organisations had on Monday even staged a protest at Koinadhora point, Khanapara, demanding of the Assam government to take up the matter with Meghalaya.
“Transport officials from Assam and Meghalaya had a meeting at Dispur today and we were informed that tourist taxis would be allowed to enter Meghalaya provided the passengers get a rapid antigen test done at the Brynihat entry point and the driver carries a COVID negative test report (from Guwahati Medical College Hospital) to be shown after every 10 days,” AIRTWF state committee general secretary, Biren Sarma, told The Shillong Times here on Thursday.
Sarma, however, said not all passengers might agree to bear the cost of Rs 500 for a COVID test done at the entry point. “While the cab drivers would get COVID-negative reports from GMCH every ten days, not all passengers might agree to pay for a COVID test. The burden cannot be imposed on drivers as they will not be able to afford the additional cost per ride,” he said.
The AIRTWF office-bearer, however, said that the minutes of the meeting between the transport officials of the two states would be discussed in the federation’s meeting with the cab operators and Goalpara-based associations on Friday and a decision on the next course of action would be taken subsequently. “We will insist on free COVID tests for passengers or else intensify our agitation as planned earlier,” Sarma said.