SHILLONG: When it comes to a good public transport system, Shillong is nowhere near other cities where hundreds of public transport options are available for the residents be it the metro, railways, local taxis, private cab services and buses.
What is sorely lacking in Shillong are the phone-in taxi services now available in neighbouring Assam such as the Ole and Green taxi services that appear at a client’s doorstep after a few minutes of a phone call. In Shillong, people only have the option of local taxis which are shabbily maintained or the Government run buses and maxi cabs for their transportation. Since a metro is not an option in Shillong, many people feel that the Government should at least promote private cab services in Shillong like other cities.
Several visitors to Shillong who wish to go around the city find it difficult since local taxis charge arbitrary fares in the absence of a Government approved fare chart. Most passengers are cheated by local taxi drivers. Seldom do they have anything good to say about a local carrier. It is also a fact that local taxis in Shillong are congested as four passengers are pushed inside the small taxi despite the rules stating that they can carry a total of 3+1 passengers.
Taking cognizance of the practice, the Global Social Welfare Organisation has approached the Regional Transport Authority saying that the actual seating capacity in local taxis including driver is 5 but in Shillong 6 passengers are squeezed inside the cabs which is a clear violation of Regional Transport Authority guidelines.
“The guidelines issued by the RTA is well known to drivers and police but the latter seem to have given up checking the overloading of taxis for reasons best known to them,” Secretary General of Global Social Welfare Organisation said in a letter addressed to the RTA.
Stating that passengers have to suffer inside the cabs due to over loading, the Organisation asserted that it is the duty of the RTA to ensure that its own rules are not flouted and take necessary steps.
Many people say that the problem of over loading is because of the practice of shared taxis here in Shillong which is unique and not seen elsewhere.
When this issue was brought to the attention of Principal Secretary, Urban Affairs recently, the officer said that he is not sure whether taxis are plied on share basis in other cities.
However, he said that the matter should be taken up with the Transport Department.
