In Himachal Pradesh, taxi operators on the edge

Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, May 26

At least 45,000 taxi operators in Himachal Pradesh have been without work for the past two months. Prem Kumar, who plies an Innova, says after the state government decided to allot taxi number plates to unemployed youth, many took loans from banks and bought vehicles in the hope of a decent livelihood. “Sadly, travel and tourism came to a halt after the lockdown and we were left high and dry,” he says.

Another taxi operator Manjit Thakur says the only help they have received from the government so far is waiver of passenger tax. “As and when the lockdown is lifted, I will have to pay an insurance premium of Rs 75,000 for my vehicle as well as bank instalments. With no earnings, I don’t know how I will manage that. “If the government does not come to our rescue, I will have no option but to sell my vehicle,” he says.

A few taxi operators made some money after people stuck in Delhi and Chandigarh hired vehicles to return to their home state. The drivers had to undergo institutional quarantine for 28 days on their return. Now with anybody returning from a hotspot facing stigma, most taxi operators are unwilling to ferry residents stranded in other parts of the country. They are demanding that the government provides them help.