GUWAHATI, March 9 � The All Guwahati Share Taxi Owners� Association has flayed the government�s decision to withdraw share taxis (trekkers) from the city and threatened to refrain from facilitating transport facilities for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls if their issues are not resolved.
The association said nearly two lakh passengers depend on this mode of public transport daily and the government�s decision to withdraw trekkers would directly affect them.
The trekkers were introduced in the city in 2003 when Anjan Dutta was the Transport Minister.
�The idea behind introduction of the trekker service was to provide employment to the youths of the State. With the government deciding to replace the trekkers with new cabs, the dependents on it are bound to face the heat,� said Deep Mazumdar, president of the association.
�If poor condition of the trekker is the reason, then what about the city buses plying in the city. Further, if the Government is planning to shift the service to rural areas, how would that help the passengers,� he questioned.
The association also questioned the cost effectiveness of the cabs compared to the trekkers.
�The minimum fare of a trekker is Rs 7 whereas a passenger will have to pay at least Rs 30 as a minimum fare which might not suit the pocket of common man,� the association stated.
It also expressed apprehensions about the government move stating that the decision to withdraw trekkers is anti-people and the government would do well to review its decision.
