In a massive escalation of the standoff between transport unions of Assam and Meghalaya, thousands of Assam-based tourist taxi drivers launched a blockade around 8 AM on Thursday, preventing ML tourist vehicles from entering either state.
The protest left hundreds of passengers stranded at Jorabat, disrupting travel for those headed to airports, railway stations, and tourist destinations. The move came in retaliation against the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA), which on September 16 had stopped Assam-registered tourist taxis from ferrying visitors to Meghalaya’s tourist spots, restricting them to hotels only.
Following this, Assam’s Motor Parivan Sewakarmi Sanmilita Mancha announced a “Total Non-Cooperation” strike effective September 18, warning that even Meghalaya-based vehicles entering Assam would face similar restrictions.
The deadlock has caused severe inconvenience to commuters from both states and threatens to further impact the tourism sector, a vital source of livelihood for thousands.
