Joint meeting proposes nodal committees, parking facilities and regular dialogue to prevent future conflicts
Shillong, September 8: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Tuesday welcomed the outcome of a joint meeting involving ministers, senior officials and tourist taxi associations from Meghalaya and Assam, describing the discussions as successful and constructive.
The meeting was attended by representatives of seven tourist taxi associations from Assam and five from Meghalaya. It was convened following problems faced by taxi operators after the recent students’ union agitation in Shillong, during which several Assam-registered vehicles were allegedly damaged.
The Meghalaya delegation was led by Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, while Assam was represented by Tourism Minister Atul Bora.
Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, Dhar said representatives from both states held detailed discussions for nearly two hours and openly presented the difficulties faced by tourist taxi operators travelling and operating across the inter-state boundary.
He said both sides agreed that disputes should be settled through dialogue and that no incident should be allowed to affect the long-standing relationship between the people of Assam and Meghalaya.
Among the key issues discussed were the safety of drivers and passengers, parking facilities, access to airports and important commercial areas, and difficulties faced by tourist taxis while operating outside their home state.
Dhar said the authorities would examine the possibility of identifying designated parking spaces for tourist taxis. The two governments would also take steps to ensure that drivers are not unnecessarily harassed while transporting passengers between Assam and Meghalaya.
He further announced that committees headed by senior Transport Department officials would be constituted to address complaints raised by taxi associations. Whenever a problem arises, the associations would be able to approach these committees for timely intervention.
Regular meetings are also expected to be held between government officials and representatives of taxi associations to review developments and prevent misunderstandings from escalating into larger disputes.
Expressing satisfaction with the outcome, Dhar said most of the concerns raised by the associations had been discussed and accepted for further examination.
“We are very happy that the issues were discussed peacefully. From today, we hope that normal movement will continue and such problems will not arise again,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister appealed to all taxi associations and drivers to maintain discipline, cooperate with the authorities and ensure that passengers travelling between the two neighbouring states are not inconvenienced.
