A Correspondent
Shillong: The committee constituted by the Meghalaya government on Friday held a meeting with the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) and organisations which are supporting the association. These include All Shillong Taxi Driver United Organisation, Hynniewtrep Tourist Taxi Association, Meghalaya Tourist Transporters Association and Khasi Hills Tourist Taxi Association.
During the meeting with the committee headed by Director Tourism Department, CVD Diengdoh, various suggestions were made by the representatives of the taxi associations chief amongst those on the Reciprocal Transport Agreement being implemented in other states of the country.
AKMTTA president Ricaldinus Dohling informed that the committee wanted the association to send the suggestions in writing. Dohling said that AKMTTA will give time to the government to look into their demands.
“We are fifty percent hopeful that our demands would be met and that the government would formulate a policy on tourists spots of the state,” he added. Adiviser of AKMTTA, Kyrmenlang Uriah said that the Reciprocal Transport Agreement can bring many benefits to the people of the state.
Uriah said that this Reciprocal Transport Agreement is being implemented in Sikkim, between the state and West Bengal. “Through this agreement, both the owners and drivers from both states should benefit. There will not be any unfairness between any states,” he added. He also refuted the claim that this is “Sikkim model” even as he added that this agreement is in place in many states.
According to him the states where this Reciprocal Transport Agreement is in place, these are also transit states like Meghalaya.
“It is effective in these states and it has brought many benefits to their people,” Uriah said. He also appealed to other stakeholders not to misunderstand the so-called Sikkim model, since this will not affect the hotel owners or those owning guest houses.
“This is a transport agreement and we are not talking about affecting their livelihood,” he added.
Another stakeholder Balajied Jyrwa, said that the Reciprocal Process is in place in Jharkhand, Odisha, Delhi and Haryana and tourists vehicles can ply from one state into another.
Also Read: Meghalaya Tourist Taxis Seek ‘Reciprocal Transport’ Agreement With Assam
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