By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 6: Air travel from Shillong to various destinations seems to be more cost-effective than travelling by road to and from Shillong Airport at Umroi.
A Shillong-Dimapur flight ticket costs around Rs 1,500-1,800 on an average day. However, travelling by road from the Shillong Airport to Shillong may cost one anything from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000.
There is no bus service between Shillong and Shillong Airport. The state government is not too keen on starting the bus service either as the local taxi drivers stand opposed to it.
Sources said the airport authorities and the state government held several meetings in the past to discuss the need to have a proper public transport to and from the airport but nothing has materialised so far.
On several occasions, the airport authorities urged the government to fix the rates for taxis. The process is on and no decision has been made yet.
The Shillong Airport is located around 27 km from Shillong. In the absence of bus service, passengers cannot but use their own cars or hire one to go to the airport or come to Shillong from the airport.
The idea of prepaid taxis at the Shillong Airport has not materialised as the government has not been able to fix the rates. Some taxi drivers charge Rs 500 per passenger for journey from the airport to Shillong.
In Guwahati, the fare in a shared taxi from the city to the airport and vice versa is Rs 300 to Rs 400. Passengers here also have the option of travelling by a bus. The bus fare is only Rs 100-150.