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Taxi operators raise concerns as RTO starts acquiring vehicles for poll duties

Around 300 vehicles have been acquired and an additional 600 to 700 would be hired in the days to come. MUSSOORIE: As the date of Lok Sabha polls draws near, the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across the state have started ‘acquiring’ taxis for election duties. However, with the tourist season in the state in the offing, taxi owners are complaining that they would incur heavy losses if their vehicles are kept exclusively for poll duties.


The taxi operators said that though they receive Rs. 800 per day, in addition to diesel expenses, the payment is often delayed or in some cases never realized.

“Though we are told that Rs. 800 would be paid to us, beside the diesel expenses, but that amount is sometimes never paid or gets delayed. This happened in the last assembly polls. Also, we are scared to remind the RTO officials of our payment,” said Rahul Kumar (name changed), a taxi operator from Dehradun.

Another operator echoed similar concerns. “We have to pay salaries to the drivers, pay for maintenance of the vehicle and, most importantly, pay bank installments. But if the vehicle is assigned only to election duties then how are we supposed recover our costs,” said Ajay Raturi, (name changed), a taxi operator in Mussoorie.

Admitting to the delays in releasing the payment, Arvind Kumar Pandey, RTO Dehradun, said, “The amount is released by the Election Commission after the polls are completed, and hence, sometimes, the payment gets delayed. But this time, we will ensure that the payments are made in time-bound manner to the taxi operators.”

Pandey added that around 300 vehicles have been acquired and an additional 600 to 700 would be hired in the days to come.

Meanwhile, local residents said that the tourists coming to visit Mussoorie might face inconvenience if majority of the vehicles are kept solely for election duties.

“As tourist season is beginning, we hope that the people visiting hills do not face inconvenience due to shortage of taxis,” said Sanjay Singh, a resident.

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