Shillong: Commercial vehicle groups in Assam have issued a two-day ultimatum to Meghalaya, demanding the rollback of a new restriction on tourist taxis from outside the state. The rule, enforced by the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA), bars non-Meghalaya registered vehicles from operating freely in the state’s popular tourist areas.
The AKMTTA claims that tourist taxis from Assam have monopolised the market, severely impacting the livelihood of local drivers. As most tourists travel to the Northeast through Guwahati, they often continue their journey to Meghalaya in Assam-registered taxis. The association proposes that these vehicles should only be permitted to drop tourists at key locations like Shillong, after which local taxis would take over for trips to other tourist spots.
To enforce their demand, local taxi drivers recently blocked several routes, including Umtyngngar and Kyrdemkhla, preventing Assam vehicles from proceeding. A magistrate intervened to allow the vehicles to continue their journeys. The AKMTTA also distributed pamphlets explaining their position.
In response, Assam’s transport unions, including the Motor Parivan Sewakarmi Sanmilita Mancha (MPSSM) and the Workers Joint Manch, condemned the AKMTTA’s move as “selfish and unjustified.” They announced a complete halt of tourist vehicles to Meghalaya, effective from 5 a.m. on September 18, citing safety concerns.
The unions have also warned of similar restrictions on Meghalaya taxis traveling to Assam, particularly those heading to Guwahati airport and railway stations. They believe this boycott will severely harm Meghalaya’s tourism sector, noting that cancellations have already been reported. Their statement added, “Tourists have many other options—Arunachal, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Bhutan, Ladakh. If such hurdles continue, they will simply avoid Meghalaya.”
Both the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF) and the state government have expressed concern that the AKMTTA’s actions could cause significant damage to the state’s tourism-dependent economy.
“Tourism can only grow through cooperation,” a statement from the Assam transport unions concluded. “Creating barriers will hurt everyone in the long run.”
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