No Plans to Ban Tourist Vehicles from Other States: Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh

Lyngdoh said the government wants to keep a balance as far as the entry of tourist vehicles entering the state is concerned

Much to the relief of many, Meghalaya Tourism Minister, Paul Lyngdoh said on Thursday that the state government has no plans to ban tourist vehicles from Assam. This comes amid demands by the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association to ban tourist vehicles from Assam entering the state popular among outsiders for its picturesque locales and cool climate.

The Tourism Minister held a review meeting today in Shillong with the Department of Tourism, Police and other departments to discuss the demands of the Taxi Association, as this had triggered a lot of apprehension and concern among the cab operators of Assam as well as tourists and professionals planning to visit Meghalaya.

Briefing the media after the meeting the Minister said that there are visitors from Meghalaya too touring Assam therefore, the government wants to maintain a balance as far as the entry of the tourist vehicles into Meghalaya is concerned.

The Minister further pointed that for Meghalaya, Assam is the entry point to the state, as Assam has Airport and Railway stations and Meghalaya is not in a position to put at risk the services currently being provided by Assam.

Lyngdoh further said that in the next 10-12 days he will invite all the tourist Taxi Associations in the state for a general meeting to discuss the demands of the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association.

Speaking to Northeast Live, Lyngdoh said, “Today’s meeting was attended by senior government officials, including the Chief Additional Secretary, Director of Tourism, Joint Secretary of Transport, and Assistant Commissioner of Transport. We focused on how to improve livelihood opportunities for our taxi drivers.”
The Minister listed out some of the key issues which emerged at the meeting:
1) There is a significant number of tourist associations at district and state levels.
2) There is a gap between the demand for vehicles and the available supply. Demand is increasing steadily, while supply has remained stagnant. To address this, initiatives such as Prime Tourism Vehicles are being undertaken to match the demand.
3) Rather than imposing a ban, we need to focus on regulating the system in a way that benefits our youth through the transport industry.

“We have decided to hold a general meeting with all the associations to ensure that we provide the best possible service to cater to their interests. Simultaneously, we must ensure that any measures we take will not have any negative repercussions. This is important as not only tourists from Assam travel to Shillong, but also people from Meghalaya move to parts of Assam. We have instructed the transport department to provide accurate information about the current number of cars, buses, and other modes of transport in operation, as well as the number of vehicles with Meghalaya registration. Once we have this information, we will arrange the general meeting with all those involved in the tourism industry. This meeting should take place within the next 10-12 days,” the Minister said.

Concerned about the situation and trying to allay the fears of the Assam cab operators, Assam Tourism Minister, Jayanta Mallah Baruah said, “We need to consider the convenience of passengers from both states and the welfare of taxi drivers from both states. This is a matter for the Meghalaya Government, and they will make a decision soon. However, we will also discuss our concerns. We must ensure that drivers from Assam do not incur losses, and we will raise this issue with the Meghalaya Government.”

Last week, The All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association called for a total ban on tourist vehicles from other states ferrying people to tourist spots in Meghalaya.

The Association, in a letter to the Tourism Minister, Paul Lyngdoh, had argued that this was depriving the local cabbies in Shillong and hence was a cause for concern

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