In her first post on Instagram after landing in Kerala, Mumbai-based Janhvi had this to say: “I never thought I would travel to Kerala alone, but it has become possible. I know there are a lot of people who want to visit this beautiful place. You can also do it.” Three days later, she posted another video that ends with this message: “I don't want to visit Kerala again.”
She deleted the video later, but her ordeal had by then become a talking point across the country. Janhvi had booked an online taxi from Kochi for her Munnar trip, but a group of taxi drivers in the tourist town stopped her, saying online cabs are banned there. She informed the police, who refused to help her. Left with no option, Janhvi had to hire another vehicle, but feeling unsafe, she cut short her visit and returned to Mumbai.
Janhvi's case is not an isolated one. At least 10 similar cases have been reported from Munnar in the last two years. The hill station, which depends on tourism for sustenance, is known for its tea gardens and scenic beauty. In the tourist season that starts in October, it earns up to Rs 6 crore a day. Nearly 500 vehicles, including jeeps used for off-road travel, ply in Munnar town alone.
Tourists who come by flight to Kochi book online taxis from the Cochin International Airport itself, mostly because it is cheaper and partly to avoid haggling with taxi drivers in Munnar. Since it was not feasible for online taxi drivers to just drop passengers in Munnar and return empty-handed, they started waiting in the hill station for a return trip. This, said taxi drivers in Munnar, ate into their share of revenue. So they enforced an undeclared 'ban' on online taxis while the police looked the other way.
With that, the problems began.
Munnar was expecting high tourist footfall this Diwali, but there was only half the normal traffic, while nearby spots like Wagamon and Thekkady experienced a rush. What accentuated the issue in Munnar is the silent support of the police to the undeclared ban. “This is goondaism,” said Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar. “Drivers who indulge in such acts would have their licences cancelled. There is no ban on online taxis. The government will not allow anyone to destroy the tourism sector.” Irrigation Minister Roshy Augustine, who represents Idukki assembly constituency, said that while the incident was unfortunate, a solution should be arrived at through deliberations that included the taxi unions.
After the online backlash, the government stepped in and suspended two policemen who had sided with the taxi drivers. But to win back the trust of the tourists, stronger action—like ensuring access to online taxis and bringing down the exorbitant taxi charges—is the need of the hour.
Munnar is Kerala's paradise, and it should not be lost to tourists like Janhvi.
