By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 23: The recently implemented fare structure for tourist vehicles operating between Shillong and Umroi airport has faced stiff resistance from local taxi drivers, who continue to charge passengers according to the old rates of Rs 500 per person.
Despite the government’s efforts to standardise fares, taxi drivers at the airport have maintained their monopoly. The new regulations set the fare for 4-5 seater petrol/diesel vehicles at Rs 21 per kilometer, totaling Rs 1,345 for a round trip between the airport and Police Bazar. For 7 to 8-seater vehicles, the fare is Rs 25 per kilometer, amounting to Rs 1,600 for the same trip.
However, on Thursday, taxi drivers from the Shillong Airport Taxi Drivers Association were still charging Rs 500 per passenger for trips from the airport to Shillong, disregarding the government’s new rates. Prior to the fare adjustment, these drivers would charge Rs 500 and accommodate four passengers per car.
When informed about the new rates, the drivers refused to comply, leaving passengers with little choice. “The choice is simple here. Either you pay Rs 500 and travel to Shillong, or you’re on your own,” a passenger from Dimapur told this reporter at the airport.
The taxi drivers justify their continued pricing by citing the lengthy traffic jams they endure on the roughly 30-kilometer journey, claiming they are compelled to charge Rs 500 per passenger or Rs 2,000 for an entire 4-seater vehicle. They also show reluctance to drop passengers anywhere other than Police Bazar, preferring to use the Mawlai Bypass to avoid main road congestion.
This ongoing issue may deter passengers from using Shillong Airport, especially when travel to Guwahati Airport, which offers more reliable services, costs only Rs 700-800 per passenger. With no immediate government intervention to introduce alternative transportation options like buses, passengers seem destined to continue paying inflated taxi rates for the foreseeable future.