The Meghalaya cabinet on June 12 approved increase of passenger fares in public transportation and vehicles with seven seats or more in the state. However, there will not be any hike in local taxis fares.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters that the taxi fare has been fixed at Rs 26 for 1 km, and Rs 13 for additional 1 km. Similarly, fares of auto rickshaws were also increased in January to Rs 14 per person per km and then the fare would be Rs 6 for every subsequent km.
He said the cabinet approved that in public transport, state carriages and mini buses the fares would increase from Rs 1.05 per km to Rs 1.80 per person per km.
“For vehicles with seven seats or more (Sumo-Mahindra Max and others) the fare has been increased from Rs 2.05 per person per km to Rs 3.60 per person per km,” Tynsong informed, adding that the state cabinet has approved the fares with immediate effect.
“The rate is still reasonable so questions of enhancement do not arise,” he further asserted.
However, the fares of local taxis would remain unchanged as taxi fares were hiked in January this year.
“A few days back members from the local taxi association came requesting for a taxi fare hike. When we looked at the January revised rate we found that the present fare of local taxis is quite okay and reasonable. So the question of enhancing the fares again does not arise,” Tynsong added.
The cabinet also approved a draft Motor Vehicles Accident Tribunal in consonance with a Supreme Court and Delhi high court order.
Tynsong said that issues relating to accident claims from insurance companies would be settled through the tribunal instead of approaching the courts.
The decision of the tribunal would be final under the ambit of the Motor Vehicle Act, he further informed.
