The All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) has announced a public rally on September 18 at Malki Ground in Shillong to challenge the state government’s stance on tourism and local transport.

The rally aims to demonstrate solidarity among tourist taxi associations and reiterate opposition to Assam cabs ferrying visitors to local tourist spots. This comes in response to Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh’s comments that many taxi drivers are unaffiliated with any association, which the AKMTTA has strongly criticized as misleading.

The association’s president, Ricaldinus Dohling, emphasized the solidarity of taxi drivers in their demand to ban Assam tourist vehicles from carrying passengers to Meghalaya’s tourist spots. “We are going to show our unity in the public rally,” Dohling said. The rally follows a week-long black flag protest by the association that ended on Saturday.

Reacting to the Tourism minister’s assertion that Assam is a major revenue generator for Meghalaya, Dohling criticized the state government for its failure to develop a sustainable revenue model. He highlighted the dependence of Meghalaya citizens on Assam for essential services like healthcare, often requiring them to spend significant amounts of money to travel to Guwahati for medical treatment. “It seems like the state government prefers to rely on Assam for everything, be it health or education,” he said.

The AKMTTA’s rally is a response to the state government’s policies, which they believe are detrimental to the interests of local taxi drivers and the state’s economy. The association is demanding a ban on Assam tourist vehicles and the development of a sustainable revenue model for Meghalaya.

The rally is expected to draw a large crowd, with taxi drivers and associations from across the state participating.