The legal battle between Thimphu Thromde and Tashi Commercial Corporation finally comes to an end with Tashi Commercial Corporation officially taking over the taxi parking area. The handing-taking of the land was done after the Supreme Court passed the verdict in favor of Tashi Commercial Corporation in August.
The taxi parking area near the Bhutan Oil Distributors’ fuel depot, which measures close to 50 decimal, was used as a taxi parking since 2002. Starting tomorrow, the area will not be used as taxi parking, as the land now legally belongs to Tashi Commercial Corporation. The verdict, passed by the Supreme Court states, if the government requires the land for the benefit of the public, the thromde can acquire it. The Thromde Tshogdu has decided to acquire the land since there is no other place in the town to be designated as the parking area.
Thimphu Thrompon, Kinlay Dorjee, said they have started the process to acquire the land. He said they have written to the land commission to allow them to acquire the land as per the land act. “Once we get the approval from the land commission, we will be requesting the ministry of finance to provide us with the budget to buy the land.”
The taxi drivers are not pleased with the news.
“The new designated parking area will be a problem for us. It is far away from the town and it will affect the public as well,” said a taxi driver, Dorji Wangchuk.
The Thimphu Thrompon said, the thromde has no authority since the land belongs to Tashi Commercial Corporation. “We have no other space left. We had plans to construct multi-storied parking space and now it won’t be possible. I hope Tashi understands our problem and we hope to get back the land.”
Tashi Commercial Corporation’s Legal Advisor, Tandin Dorji, says the course of action, which is being taken by the thromde, is vindictive. He said despite the apex body saying the land belongs to Tashi Commercial; the thromde wants to acquire the land. “They have occupied our land, which legally belongs to us, forcefully.”
The Legal advisor says the thromde should start looking for a new parking area. “It has been three month since the court passed the verdict… I don’t think this area is the only area where taxi drivers can park their taxis. Am sure there are other places as well.”
Meanwhile, the taxi drivers have appealed to higher authorities to use the land as parking area.
