EKH taxi body to bar non-tribals without labour, trading licences

SHILLONG, May 22: Days after the assault of two local taxi drivers in Police Bazar, the East Khasi Hills Local Taxi Welfare Association on Monday met KHADC Chief Executive Member Titosstarwell Chyne and demanded that non-tribals taxi drivers must be asked to apply for labour licence and trading licence without which they would not be allowed to run their taxis in the city.
A delegation of the association met the KHADC CEM and the EM in charge of Enforcement to raise their demands.
President of the association, Wandonbok Jyrwa said they have asked the KHADC to strictly ensure that trading licence is issued to genuine person only.
According to Jyrwa, non-tribal drivers should have valid labour licence as well a trading licence while non-tribal owners of taxis should have a valid trading licence.
Jyrwa said the association does not have any record on how many non-tribal drivers are operating on the streets of Shillong and added that many non-tribal drivers do not even have a permanent address and some of them sleep in their vehicle itself.
There are around 3,000 local taxis operating in Shillong under the banner of the association while over 5,000 such taxis are operating in the entire East Khasi Hills district.