PERNEM: Even as GMR withdrew the hiked parking fee at Mopa Greenfield Airport, the tourist taxi operators went ahead with their protest on Thursday. Hundreds of taxi owners and drivers marched to the Pernem police station, demanded ‘justice’ and a permanent resolution to their concerns. Tourism stakeholders who extended support to the Mopa Taxi Operators threatened to observe an All Goa Bandh if the taxi operators issue was not resolved by Friday.
The drivers claimed that GMR had reduced the parking fees from Rs 200 to Rs 80 only after they threatened to protest. Initially, the fees had been increased from Rs 80 to Rs 200. The taxi drivers emphasized that this reduction is a temporary solution and called on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to provide an assurance and address the ongoing issue permanently.
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Amit, a taxi operator said, “Although we have gathered here, there is no response from the government. Our demand is that the chief minister should come to Pernem now or he should come tomorrow and meet us at the Guest House, Pernem. We don’t want to go to the Secretariat again and take his ‘tablets’ (assurances), as we did during the Assembly session.”
“All taxi operators from North and South have gathered here to support the Mopa taxi operators. Taxi operators are fighting for last five to six years. When they heard that there would be a protest, GMR announced that the parking fees would be reduced from Rs 200 to Rs 80. When we travel from South to Mopa, we charge the passengers Rs 3000. Rs 1000 goes to the government, Rs 1000 we spend on fuel, Rs 300 is for maintenance. We go home with Rs 700. We have to change the tyres at 35,000 kms while earlier we had to change tyres after 70,000 kms. Transport minister alleges we don’t pay GST. On tyres, services, etc, we pay GST. He should tell us how we are causing a loss to government. Unless our demands are fulfilled we will not step back,” a taxi operator from South said.
John Lobo, President of All Goa Shack Owners said they had come to extend support to the Mopa taxi operators. “Besides us, there are rent a car, rent a bike operators who are supporting the Mopa taxi operators. If the two MLAs (of Pernem and Mandrem) do not come back to us with a solution by 12 noon Friday, we will have an all Goa bandh on Saturday with the support of all tourism stakeholders. They have to remove the taxi stand of the Goa Miles operators from Mopa airport. It may not be possible to stop the Goa Miles service, but as a first step they should be removed from the Mopa airport.”
