Shillong, July 7: Taxi drivers, brush up your manners, big brother is watching. Wary of Shillong?s tradition of warmth and hospitality towards visitors being sullied by ill-mannered cabbies, Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang has asked those operating here to be on their best behaviour while ferrying passengers. ?I have been told that taxi drivers do not behave properly with passengers. This will not be tolerated. They have to learn manners or face punishment,? he said.
Lapang?s interest in beautifying Shillong and its suburbs to attract more tourists is not new. He has specifically asked the civic authorities to deck up Umiam, on the outskirts of Shillong, and its surroundings.
The chief minister said the beautification project, however, would not serve any purpose if those providing various services to tourists did not adhere to the established code of conduct. ?We must not allow anyone to get away with improper behaviour. Taxi drivers, especially, need to be disciplined.?
Lapang said a set of rules would be framed soon to keep errant cabbies in check.
The number of taxis in Shillong has increased manifold over the last couple of years, and so have complaints about erratic driving and cabbies misbehaving with passengers.
A resident of the capital town, Emilla Passah, said most taxi drivers were breaking rules with impunity. ?Taxis invariably carry more passengers than is allowed and drivers merrily smoke inside the vehicles, much to the annoyance of women passengers, who have to cover their noses with handkerchiefs throughout the journey.?
A marketing executive who visits Shillong frequently on business had similar complaints. ?The moment they realise you are a visitor, the taxi drivers begin acting uppity. Some do not even respond on being asked to show the fare card,? he said.
East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner D.P. Wahlang said Shillong had more taxis than was required. He said the administration had decided to take all pre-1995 models off the road. ?We have set January 1 as the deadline.?
On how the district administration intended to crack down on taxis without valid permits, Wahlang said a novel strategy would be implemented in two months? time. ?We will check all permits over the next two months and give a District Transport Authority hologram to those taxis which pass the validity test.?