Passengers travelling between Khuzama village (south point terminus) and Mao gate had a harrowing time on Thursday as there was no passenger vehicle plying between Khuzama and Mao gate due to unresolved standoff between Southern Angami Tata sumo union (SATSU), which is affiliated to All Nagaland Taxi Association (ANTA) and Mao Tata Sumo Welfare Union (MTSWU) affiliated to Senapati District Taxi Welfare Union (SDTWU).
With no taxis, the commuters including children and women were compelled to walk 2 ½ km with their luggage. A man told Nagaland Post that his family members were compelled to walk with three bags for more than 2 km. He said they were unaware of such situation and learnt only on reaching the taxi stand. The aggrieved commuter appealed to both the parties (tax unions) to sort out the problem so as to avoid such inconveniences caused to passengers.
Lamenting that thousands of passengers were facing hardship daily due to the current impasse, the passenger appealed to the responsible authority to take up the matter at the earliest and resolve it. When contacted, MTSWU president, Kosiihrii Kenneth, admitted that the union had stopped all the vehicles ferrying passengers between Khuzama and Mao gate from June 26 in protest against SATSU volunteers disallowing the national permit vehicles of Senapati district to ply between Mao-Kohima and Senapati-Dimapur.
He alleged that SATSU volunteers stopped all the zonal taxis (even with valid permit) to ply since May 8. Kenneth said the volunteers even stopped national permit vehicle from June 6.
On other hand, SATSU president, Nozosal, told informed this correspondent that the inconvenience caused to passengers coming from Manipur and Kohima were due to MTSWU restriction otherwise the Khuzama south point terminus is for both MTSWU and SATSU. On asking why Zonal taxis of Senapati district with valid permit from RTO Kohima were restricted, SATSU president said the members should ply in their respective areas.