AALO, Jul 20: The West Siang district administration has issued an order directing the owners/agents of Tata Sumo taxis plying from Aalo to Manigong/Mechukha to refrain from collecting without authorization exorbitant fares from passengers.
The order said failure to comply with the fares fixed by the administration would result in the cancellation of plying permit and agent’s licence under Section 86 and Section 93 of the MV Act, 1988, and other rules.
The order has been issued in the wake of a representation submitted by Manigong-based Shajee Youth Club, urging the administration to fix reasonable fares for taxis plying from Aalo to Lungte, Karo, Sheet, Karle and Manigong.
In its representation to the deputy commissioner, the club said “thousands of poor people from Pidi and Manigong circles under Mechukha subdivision are facing far-reaching hardships due to unreasonable and exorbitant hike in the fares of Maxi Cab (Tata Sumo) plying in the said route.”
Reportedly, the All West Siang District Maxi Cab Association recently hiked the fares for taxis plying in various parts of the district.
Claiming that the Tata Sumo counters are “unreasonably extracting” Rs 800 per passenger for just the 198 km distance between Aalo and Manigong, the club alleged that the Maxi Cab association was “running a monopoly rate as per their whims and fancy, thereby causing lots of problems for the poor commuters.”
The taxi fare fixed by the district administration for the Aalo-Manigong route is reportedly Rs 440.
The club also requested the administration and the APSTS to arrange APSTS taxi service from Aalo to Manigong in the greater interest of the people of the two circles.
