The Department of Tourism conducted a pilot workshop at the State Convention Centre today to outline the rollout plan for the upcoming Meghalaya Tourism Tourist Taxi Booking App, aimed at improving the overall visitor experience across the state.
Tourism Commissioner & Secretary Rosetta Mary Kurbah said the app is designed to enhance the visitor experience and protect tourists from fraudulent payment practices, clarifying that it is not intended to compete with the existing taxi ecosystem. She added that the platform will integrate coordination with police and traffic departments, and will be GPS-enabled and OTP-based, incorporating strict monitoring safeguards for both tourists and drivers, including vehicles registered under the PRIME Meghalaya beneficiaries’ scheme. The app will be backed by the Meghalaya Tourism Helpline, jointly operated by the department and the Avenues team.
Deputy Director Philip F. Tariang said the initiative is the result of extensive consultations conducted since late 2024 with taxi associations and PRIME vehicle beneficiaries. He noted that the broader vision behind the platform is to combine taxi booking functionality with curated information on tourist destinations, with a full official launch planned at a later stage.
The workshop included hands-on training sessions for tourist taxi drivers, along with a live demonstration of the app conducted by XLayer Technologies. Officials confirmed that Phase-I of the rollout will cover an initial cohort of 200 PRIME vehicle beneficiaries, along with other tourist taxi operators involved in long-distance tourist transport. Registration will be open to operators holding valid permits, licences, insurance and necessary clearances, with eligibility assessed individually through joint driver and vehicle verification conducted by the Transport Department and Meghalaya Police.
The platform will feature an administrative portal, a dedicated driver app, and a customer booking interface. In its initial phase, payments will be made directly between customers and drivers, with no commission charged by the department. The department also plans to integrate the platform with the tourism helpline to support grievance redressal, while exploring the possibility of extending the service to tourist-oriented two-wheelers in future phases.
The workshop was also attended by SP Traffic Dr. Hari Prasanth M.R and the President of the Taxi Operators Association of Meghalaya (TOAM), among other officials.