| Taxi drivers fleece passengers at will, charge arbitrary fares | | | RAJESH TANDON
Early Times Report
POONCH, July 4: With the resumption of different modes of public transport after the Unclock 1 and 2, the taxi operators have also started to ply their vehicles on different internal routes of the Union Territory. Though the government guidelines have mandated that not more than four passengers are allowed in a taxi or car including the driver, it has been seen that most of the cab operators are not adhering to the order and ferrying more passengers in their vehicles besides they are also charging arbitrary fares from the passengers. “Not only they are defying the order of restricted carriage issued by the administration, but the taxi operators on the other hand are also putting charging arbitrarily from the passengers,” sources told Early Times. “In Mendhar Sub Division of district Poonch, the taxi drivers are charging hefty fares from the passengers, due to which the commuters are feeling fleeced, they added.
Meanwhile, local people have have also alleged that the taxi drivers are charging anything between Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 from Mendhar to Jammu and vice versa, which is nothing less than an open loot. A passenger namely Mohammad Ishfaq Khan, who travelled from Jammu to Mendhar in a cab, said, “I came to Mendhar from Jammu on a taxi, I was asked for a fare of Rs 1000 by the driver. When I objected to such a high fare, the driver got agitated and started arguing. Finally his will prevailed as he charged the demanded amount.”
While another passenger who also travelled from Jammu to Mendhar on a different taxi had to pay Rs 1500 as fare though the distance of the journey was similar for which Khan paid Rs 1000. People have demanded from District Development Commissioner, Poonch to check the fleecing of passengers by taxi drivers.
When contacted ARTO Poonch, Jugal Sharma said that this matter has come to his notice.
“We will discuss it with the District Police and take necessary action against the drivers who are charging arbitrary fares and fleecing the passengers,” said ARTO, Poonch.
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