SHILLONG, June 20: Amid the growing dependence of the public on two-wheelers as a means of transportation, especially in the state capital, the state government has decided to regulate two-wheelers operating as bike taxis purportedly without any licence from the competent authority in the state.
Bike taxi aggregator Rapido is operational in the city and its several ‘captains’ are available to ferry passengers who can book a ride from the app.
When asked about the steps taken by the government to regulate this new public service provider, Commissioner and Secretary of Transport department, E Kharmalki, told reporters on Tuesday that the state government will very soon notify the permit tax, road tax and passenger fares to be charged by the ‘taxi aggregators’.
He said the Ministry of Road Transport had issued a statutory order (dated June 2021) which had notified that two-wheelers can be considered as taxi aggregators.
Based on this, the state Transport department had accordingly floated an advertisement inviting interested parties to register with the department and obtain a licence to operate as taxi aggregators.
“So far, only one applicant by the name of Jet 24×7 had got the licence to operate as a taxi aggregator in the state. However, they are yet to operate because the state government has to notify the permit tax, road tax and passenger fares,” Kharmalki said.
“The permit tax, road tax and fares to be charged by the taxi aggregators will soon be placed before the State Cabinet for its approval,” he added.
According to him, the government is making all efforts to expedite the matter insofar as regulating the operation of taxi aggregators in the state is concerned.
