Illegal taxi stands have free run in Mohali

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, November 18

Illegal taxi stands continue to encroach upon the prime land in the markets of this town for decades, but the civic authorities are in a deep slumber.

Thirty years ago, there were just seven legal taxi stands in the town. The number remains the same even today. However, there are 31 taxi stands operating illegally here; thanks to the authorities, who failed to formulate a policy on the facility.

The Mohali Municipal Corporation (MC) authorities admitted that at least 31 taxi stands are being run illegally in the town.

As per the MC records, Shere Punjab Taxi Stand, Sector 55, Azad Taxi Stand, Sector 60, Janta Tourist Taxi Stand, Sector 59, Amar Taxi Stand, Sector 54, Dhanoa Taxi Stand, Sector 59, Baidwan Taxi Stand, Sector 61, and Mohali Taxi Stand and Gurmukh Singh Mawi Taxi Stand in Sector 57, Industrial Area, are legal sites.

The MC records show that seven taxi stands were given legal sanctity in 1987 by the then municipal council, which had constituted a subcommittee in this regard. The panel had put forward its report in the House on April 4, 1987, which had approved allotment of sites to seven taxi stands at a nominal fee of Rs 100. The fee was increased to Rs 150 while renewing the allotment of the taxi stands the next year. 

In 1989, the council had cancelled the allotment of Amar Taxi Stand through a resolution.  Later, GMADA had allotted a site (50’ X 20’) to Jhajj’z Taxi Stand in Sector 63. It had also allotted sites to Karan Taxi Stand and Mawi Taxi Stand, both in Sector 70. 

GMADA reportedly conducted a survey a few years ago and identified around 23 taxi stands, seven ‘allotted’ and the rest ‘non-allotted’, said an MC official. 

The GMADA’s survey agreed on the number of legal sites. However, the names of some old legal taxi stands, including Janta Tourist Taxi Stand and Mohali Taxi Stand and Gurmukh Singh Mawi Taxi Stand did not find a mention in the report. 

According to the MC authorities, at least 37 taxi stands are operating in the town. MC Joint Commissioner Avneet Kaur said, “A proposal for legalising the taxi stands in the town was placed in the House meeting held in August last year. The House had kept the proposal pending.”

Mayor Kulwant Singh said they were yet to decide whether the sites of taxi stands should be auctioned or some other method should be adopted to allot these. “We don’t want outside private players to come and take possession of the sites through auction. A decision in this regard will be taken soon,” he said.

MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu said several local persons had been operating taxis through these taxi stands. “Those who are operating here for years would be given preference in allotment of sites. I would talk to the MC authorities to take a decision in this regard soon,” said the MLA. 

Congress councillor Kuljit Singh Bedi, who had raised the issue of illegal taxi stands in a House meeting last year, alleged that the corporation officials were least bothered about encroachments, even by legal taxi stands. “Most taxi stands have encroached upon the prime land in parking lots of main markets in the town, causing inconvenience to public. Operators of some of these are earning lakhs by supplying high-end cars to marriages and other functions besides running taxis and paying peanuts to the civic body, which has failed to prepare a policy in this regard so far,” he added.

ENCROACHMENT BY LEGAL TAXI STANDS

Even legal taxi stands have encroached upon government land. Most of these have occupied more area than what has been allotted to them. As per the records, Shere Punjab Taxi Stand has been allotted a 50’X40’ site, Jhajj’z 50’X20’, Dhanoa 50’X40’, Azad 65’X40’, Baidwan 150’X20’, Karan Taxi Stand at Sector 70 15’X15’ and Mawi Taxi Stand 20’X75’.

Civic Body has No record of annual charges received

As per MC officials, the corporation charges Rs 400 per taxi annually from these legal taxi stands. However, the officials are not aware when the charges were increased as there is no record. No proper record is being maintained about annual fee being deposited by the owners of taxi stands. An official admitted that the owners of some of the taxi stands were not paying the charges for the past couple of years.