Opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur pledges to seek extension of taxi permits, ending fast

On Tuesday, opposition leader and Himachal Pradesh chief ministerial hopeful Jai Ram Thakur visited Chaura Maidan in Shimla where members of the Taxi Operators’ Union had been staging a fast‑unto‑death. The protest began after the state transport department announced that new taxi permits would be valid for only 12 years, a period operators say is too short to recover their investment. Thakur listened to the grievances, noting that many drivers had taken loans to purchase vehicles and that a three‑year reduction in permit life could push several operators into bankruptcy. He assured the union that he would raise the issue with the Central Government, seeking an extension of the permit period to 15 years, which is the norm in several other states. Following the meeting, the union representatives announced the immediate withdrawal of the fast, thanking Thakur for his intervention. The protest, which had disrupted traffic in the city’s commercial hub, ended without any arrests or police action.