Relief for tourist taxi operators

SHILLONG, Nov 27: Tourist taxi operators in Meghalaya heaved a sigh of relief after the restrictions imposed by Assam on vehicular movement were removed on Sunday.
A tourist taxi driver said a few vehicles started operating between Shillong and Guwahati after five days of uncertainty since the Mukroh firing incident killed six persons on November 22.
“The Assam police lifted the restrictions on the movement of Assam-registered vehicles. The taxi operators in Assam also allowed our vehicles to go to Guwahati,” the driver said.
Tourist taxis stopped operating on the Guwahati-Shillong route on November 23. Until Sunday, vehicles from both states terminated at Jorabat with the passengers from Meghalaya forced to hop onto Assam-registered vehicles for their onward journey.
Shillong-destined passengers also had to change vehicles at Jorabat as cars from one state were not allowed to move to the other.
The drivers of a few vehicles who managed to reach Guwahati were reportedly heckled.
Vehicle operators jacked up their fares during these five days, charging at least Rs 3,000 per four passengers instead of the standard Rs 2,000.