From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Sep 20: The All Assam United Motor Transport Association (AAUMTA) has threatened to stop plying of commercial vehicles, carrying daily essentials from Assam, from entering Meghalaya, in the wake of the week-long ultimatum issued by the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) to the Meghalaya government.
The AKMTTA had on Wednesday served a seven-day deadline to address their demands for restricting tourist vehicles from Assam and other states from ferrying passengers to tourist spots in Meghalaya. The association had staged a public rally at Malki Ground in Shillong to challenge the Meghalaya government’s stance on tourism and local transport.
“Concerns are now being raised by AKMTTA, who are calling for a ban on tourist cabs registered outside of Meghalaya, particularly those from Assam. This demand has sparked debate as these Assam-registered tourist vehicles hold valid permits for Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh, and some even possess all-India tourist permits. Legally, these cabs are authorised to ferry tourists to various destinations in Meghalaya, and no entity can restrict their movement within the state,” AAUMTA said in a statement.
The statement said they are closely monitoring the situation as they are concerned about the safety and security of Assam tourist vehicles, their drivers, and tourists travelling to Meghalaya. They warned that any hostility or restrictions could lead to repercussions.
“This could have a ripple effect, as Meghalaya-based taxi operators may also face difficulties picking up tourists from Guwahati airport or railway station. Such disruptions could lead to a sharp decline in tourist footfalls, which would severely impact the livelihood of local businesses, including street vendors, hotels, restaurants, the automobile industry, petrol pumps, toll gates, sightseeing points and parking leaseholders,” the association warned.
AAUMTA also made it clear that the tourism industry does not only belong to AKMTTA, which is trying to create disturbance and bring down tourism. “Stakeholders like hotels, homestays, guides, tour operators, restaurants, shop owners and street vendors should not be put at risk for some people who like being spoon-fed instead of working on the growth of the industry and share the benefits accordingly,” it said.
The association pointed out that several bookings to Meghalaya have been cancelled due to the ongoing situation. “Many of our associate travel agents have changed their itineraries to focus on Arunachal Pradesh instead of Meghalaya. If this trend continues, Meghalaya tourism and its stakeholders may face a crisis similar to the COVID period,” it stated.
In this regard, the AAUMTA, which consists of trucks, tankers, commercial vehicles and tourist vehicles among other vehicles, has decided to mail a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday.
In the memorandum, the motor transport association is likely to put up a condition that if the Meghalaya government bars tourist vehicles from Assam from ferrying passengers to tourist spots in Meghalaya, then no commercial vehicles from Assam, including trucks and tankers, will enter Meghalaya, carrying essentials as well as oil and gas.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Friday, Brajen Das, the president of Greater Guwahati Tata Sumo Drivers’ Welfare Association, expressed concern over the ultimatum even as he wished that the matter would be addressed and solved soon. “As of now, our vehicles are not facing any problem in Meghalaya. However, we have not yet decided the course of action to be taken if anything adverse comes up,” he said.