SHILLONG, Feb 5: The Joint Action Committee of Commercial Vehicles (JACCV) has pledged to keep their strike going till their demands are met even as commuters continued to bear hardships for the third consecutive day on Friday.
Apparently, the way things are progressing, the ice would take some time to break before the state government and the cabbies arrive at a mutually acceptable solution.
A majority of the commercial vehicles in the state have remained off the roads since February 3 with the JACCV launching an indefinite strike demanding reduction in tax rates and revision of taxi fares in view of the steep rise in fuel prices.
The committee’s chairman, Wandonbok Jyrwa on Friday made it clear that the strike would be continued as the state government has been silent on their demands.
“They (government) have not called us for discussions and whatever we are hearing, it is through press statements only,” Jyrwa said.
He further stated that the committee was ready to hold talks to resolve the issue if the government desired so.
The JACCV however has permitted certain vehicles to ply (to and from the airport) as many people had booked their flights long time back while some have to return home. “We are only allowing the use of vehicles for genuine cases,” he said.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had requested the committee to withdraw the indefinite strike, saying upward revision of fares was not easy.
Tynsong argued that the price of petrol or diesel keeps fluctuating and if the government increased the fares now, then the fares would have to be reduced again when petrol prices decrease.
The state government had revised the fares of local and tourist taxis back in January 2020.