Meghalaya taxi association demands bans on Assam registered commercial vehicles

All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association has called on the state government to ban commercial vehicles registered outside Meghalaya from ferrying passengers to various tourist destinations within the state. The association's representatives met with Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh, submitting a memorandum outlining their demands.

"Outside vehicles are free to bring tourists to our state, but it is the right and duty of local tourist vehicles to usher them to different tourist spots. The destination of outside state vehicles ends in Shillong and back to where they come from," said RD Dohling, president of the association.

A recent survey conducted by the association revealed concerning statistics. Out of the 5,120 vehicles registered in Meghalaya, 4,014 often go without passengers daily. Additionally, out of the 3,543 vehicles that bring tourists into the state every day, 2,437 are from outside the state.

The association argues that the influx of out-of-state commercial vehicles is negatively impacting local taxi operators. They stress that prioritizing local vehicles for intra-state travel would benefit the local economy and ensure that local drivers can sustain their livelihoods.

The memorandum also highlighted the need for strict enforcement of these regulations to prevent outside vehicles from overstepping their bounds. The association hopes that the government will take swift action to address their concerns and protect the interests of local tourist taxi operators.

Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh has yet to comment on the association's demands, but the issue is expected to spark significant discussion among stakeholders in the tourism and transport sectors.