By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 4: A majority of local taxis driven by non-Khasi drivers are registered in the name of Khasi individuals. This finding emerged from an inspection conducted recently by the enforcement wing of the KHADC’s Trade Department to verify trading licences.
The Trade Department’s enforcement team carried out inspections in various parts of the city following a request from the Synjuk Ki Nongniah Taxi Sor bad Khapsor (SNTSK), an umbrella organisation of urban and suburban taxi driver associations.
Speaking to reporters, Gigur Myrthong, the Executive Member in charge of Trade, stated on Monday that enforcement officials had reported the situation, noting that while many local taxis are driven by non-Khasi drivers, they remain legally owned by Khasi locals.
According to Myrthong, it is possible that some local tribal owners may have transferred their taxi permits to non-tribals without changing the vehicle registration names. “This explains why so many local taxis driven by non-Khasis are still legally owned by locals,” he said.
Myrthong urged local vehicle owners to formally transfer the registration names along with taxi permits to avoid potential misuse. He acknowledged that in some cases, locals might have hired non-Khasi drivers to operate their taxis.
Meanwhile, Myrthong mentioned that the Enforcement Wing had encountered difficulties conducting checks, as these inspections had caused significant traffic congestion and frustration among commuters. To address this, he stated that traffic personnel would be involved in future inspections to streamline the process.
In response to a question, Myrthong clarified that non-local drivers are required to obtain trading licences before applying for local taxi permits from the relevant District Transport Officers (DTOs), as mandated by the 1954 Trading by Non-Tribal Regulations. He emphasised that DTO offices should ensure that non-local applicants secure trading licences from the Council before issuing taxi permits.
“The Council faces challenges in tracking local taxi permits issued to non-Khasi drivers by the DTO office,” Myrthong added.