Speeding vehicles and reckless driving along the roads in the capital has become a common scene. And it is the Taxi drivers who top the list. Last year alone, Thimphu traffic police fined over a 1,000 taxi drivers for various traffic violations.
People say taxi drivers focus more on getting passengers and are less bothered about the traffic. “Taxis sometimes speed-off in search of people and when they see customers, they suddenly stop without even looking behind. So there’s a huge risk of accident. Then sometimes, they stop their cars all of a sudden, so that they can drop their passengers,” said Gembo, one of the local residents.
A taxi driver said the problem is not new. He cited increasing number of taxis in the capital city and competition as the possible reasons.
This year, in just over a month, more than 150 traffic violations by taxi drivers have been recorded by the police. Thirty five licenses have been forwarded to the traffic discipline committee for possible cancellation. Police say despite their efforts, the problem still continues.
