Poonam Nath

Taxi service clash row with Meghalaya, Sorted- Assam transport minister Yogen Mohan

Digital Desk: A long-standing dispute over taxi services between Assam and Meghalaya has now come to an end after talks with the Meghalaya government. Assam Transport Minister Yogen Mohan promised on Thursday that the recent dispute between Meghalaya and Assam tourist taxi drivers had been settled amicably.

As previously mentioned, both states' tourist taxi drivers will be permitted to operate within each other's borders. Meghalaya and Assam need to advance together. He went on to say that the Meghalaya government has also expressed interest in finding a peaceful solution.

The assurance was given amid a heated dispute between the transport unions in the two states that lasted for a week.

According to Mohan's statement, both state governments are now cooperating to maintain regular operations and prevent further disruptions despite the flare-up.

Concerned about the livelihoods of local drivers, the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) started a blockade of taxis registered in Assam entering Shillong. Assam transport unions responded to this action by imposing retaliatory restrictions on taxis registered in Meghalaya at important transit hubs such as the Jorabat border, Guwahati Railway Station, and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.

Things took a serious turn on Thursday when protesters stopped former Meghalaya Education Minister Rakkam A. Sangma's car before Assam Police were able to drive it away. Following consequently, former Minister of Tourism Paul Lyngdoh has urged both parties to start direct negotiations, warning that blockades could seriously harm the travel and tourism sector.