SHILLONG, Jan 22: The state government on Friday normalised the seating capacity arrangement for commercial vehicles and directed the drivers/owners of the aforesaid vehicles to revert to the fares as charged prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The directive from the state government comes as a breather for both drivers and the travellers, who have, over the past few months, found it difficult to cope with the protocols.
While the general public was peeved at the inflation in transportation charges, the drivers and owners of the commercial vehicles had justified the hike saying that they resorted to the move because of the restrictions by the government on the vehicular seating arrangements.
According to a statement from the Transport department on Friday, it was made clear that despite the relaxation on the seating arrangements in commercial vehicles, other COVID protocols will still have to be strictly adhered to.
“The seating capacity prescribed for travel by buses, sumos and maxi cabs, local taxis, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers is now reverted to the original seating capacity as per Motor Vehicles Act for all categories of vehicles subject to strict compliance of COVID protocols. The fares for different categories of vehicles also stand reverted to the fares notified prior to COVID with immediate effect,” the directive said.
It may be mentioned that soon after COVID-19 pandemic gripped the country and the state, the tourist taxi drivers as well as the local taxis in the city had hiked the fares on their own without seeking any approval from the competent authorities.This unlooked-for inflation had then started coming heavy on the pockets of the citizenry.
Be it the Shillong-Jowai or the Shillong-Guwahati route, the passengers are at the mercy of the cabbies.
For travelling down to Guwahati, cabbies driving Swift Dzire would charge Rs 1,000 per head from Shillong to Guwahati and vice versa. The sumo drivers are no lesser. They would charge Rs 400-500 per head for the same journey.
Not only the Shillong-Guwahati route, but the cabbies, who ferry passengers from Shillong to Jowai and vice versa, had also upped the fares.