Guwahati, Sept 18: Meghalaya’s tourism industry is staring at a major setback as the Motor Parivan Sewakarmi Sanmilita Mancha (MPSSM), Assam, began an indefinite strike on Thursday against the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) for barring tourist vehicles from outside the state.

“Nearly 90% of tourists land in Guwahati and hire our taxis to Shillong. But now the Meghalaya associations stop us midway, take our passengers, and send our vehicles back. This has been happening for months,” said Bipul Kalita, a member of MPSSM.

Kalita added that with nearly 50,000 vehicles under MPSSM, the strike will severely impact Meghalaya’s tourism sector. “Tourists are facing problems due to the strike, but we are helpless,” he said.

On Thursday, many visitors were left stranded at Jorabat and Khanapara as vehicles refused to ferry them to Shillong. “We are stuck in Jorabat because of the strike. None of the taxis is willing to go to Shillong. I have been waiting here for four hours,” said one tourist.

The MPSSM has termed the AKMTTA’s decision to ban out-of-state vehicles “unjustified and selfish.”

The move has created uncertainty for travellers and raised fears of long-term damage to the region’s tourism, which is heavily dependent on visitors from outside Meghalaya.

Most tourists travelling to Meghalaya arrive through Guwahati because of better air, rail, and road connectivity. Residents and travellers alike have urged both state governments to intervene immediately.

“If the strike continues, it will seriously affect tourism in Meghalaya. Both governments must resolve the issue quickly,” said Rajen Das, a resident of Jorabat.

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