The over 14-day long taxi operators strike demanding the scrapping of the app based taxi aggregator ‘Goa Miles’ in the state had an impact on the tourism trade especially restaurants situated in the Salcete coastal belt.
One of the partners of the popular ‘Martins Corner’ restaurant in Betalbatim, Bonny Pereira said he was suffering a loss due to the pandemic and the rise in the number of cases. Furthermore, the taxi strike had resulted in a 70 per cent reduction in business since the taxi drivers were not bringing guests to the restaurant nor were they allowing other app based taxi aggregators to bring the guests to the restaurant. The summer months of April-May are peak tourism season.
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“This taxi issue had to be sorted out long ago but it was not done and so it has now become a big problem. The government and the taxi operators should forget their differences and come to an amicable solution keeping in mind the interest of the other tourism stakeholders affected by this problem. The taxi operators should forget their unreasonable demands and settle this issue permanently as this issue is dragging on forever. This is ridiculous at the end of the day, it is not only we but everyone is going to suffer because of their stubbornness if their demands are not met” said Pereira.
Agreeing with him was Carmona-based hotelier Serafino Cota, also President of the Small and Medium Hotels of Goa Association. Cota said, “But this time as there is no business for the small and medium hotels due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, there is no impact of the ongoing taxi strike on our members because the Indian tourists are using rent-a-bike and rent-a-car. Yes, the taxis do charge exorbitantly. But whether their demands as mentioned in the media are right or wrong, it is difficult to say because all this time, they were always dealing with politicians so if ‘Goa Miles’ has come, it is because of the politicians and if ‘Goa Miles’ will go, it is again because of the politicians. If the taxi drivers are right, it has to be politically right. If taxi drivers are wrong, it has to be politically wrong because Goans at large are not taking any interest in their strike.”
A Betalbatim-based restaurant owner Dunstan D’Costa said, “Basically, I am a restaurant owner and if I do not have a menu, I am going to overcharge you, no? This issue has to be put in order from Day 1. They have been left scot free all these years. I do not blame the taxi operators but I blame the government who have not given them proper rules to be followed from Day 1. Where was the government sleeping all these years?”
“I was a taxi operator in 1992 when Nanu resort started. I had two taxis and I had drivers as I was working for Majorda beach resort then. I had made sure that we had the rate list in our taxis. From Nanu resort to the airport, one way as well as the return journey but I cannot remember the exact fare as it was over 28 years back. In 2002, I sold the vehicles. But in those days, we had the rate list in our vehicles and the management made sure the fare for one way and the return journey to Panjim and other destinations was mentioned, including for eight hours and additional kilometres. This was implemented by the management of Nanu resort and the government. But now they have been left scot free and the government is waking up from its slumbers. If this issue was streamlined from Day 1, it would have not been so bad,” said Dunstan.
Colva-based private tour and travel operator Eulogio Gomes said, “Yes, first, they have to install the digital meters and the ongoing taxi strike is affecting tourism as tourists have no transport. Presently, it is good that due to the COVID pandemic situation, there are few tourists. Otherwise, what would have happened? I have to send four to five persons in one Tempo Traveller because they request me to send, even if it is less money, I send them because I earn my livelihood on tourists so I cannot deny them to see Goa. I am a neutral party as a bus operator but I know the ‘Goa Miles’ drivers are 90 per cent non Goans so something should be done. Also the government has failed to ensure that they should have a badge when they start their taxi because without a badge, they cannot ply and ought to be issued a challan. How can the government relax their rules for them?”
“The Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Manohar ‘Babu’ Ajgaonkar is saying that few taxi operators have spoiled the name so why should all taxi owners suffer? There is a law enforcement agency in Goa. Those who do wrong should have been punished but due to the patronage of MLAs to build their vote bank, all this mess has happened. Secondly, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) feels the government should deal with them with an iron hand. I have 15 buses but they don’t take me or any other Goan bus owners as their members,” said Eulogio.
However, taxi operators have received a severe backlash from netizens, including domestic and foreign tourists with an online petition requesting the government not to succumb to the blackmail of the taxi operators refusing to install digital meters. A Benaulim resident Selville Rodrigues defended these striking taxi operators. “They are not charging extra. They are very peaceful. We must support them because they are our Goan people,” said Rodrigues.
Agreeing with him was the Cavelossim-based hotelier Dixon Vaz. Dixon said, “I am sympathetic to the grievances of these taxi operators as I am very close to them. However, the government has not taken the right steps to take this problem to a logical conclusion. Presently, they are not getting any business from tourists. They are the ones who made Goa famous. Yes, their rates are higher but Ola and Uber are a one-man party with one or two people becoming rich. The problem is that one app will be destroying thousands of livelihoods so the government should sit down and come to a place where both have to compromise for the interest of tourists and the tourism stakeholders.”
Proprietor of Hotel La Ben, Colva, Laureante Rodrigues said, “They being part of the tourism industry, I do support them. But at the same time, I disagree when the government told them to install the digital meters. If the digital meters were installed then the app (‘Goa Miles’) would not have come. But being a Goan and the app that they are trying to have can only be successful in the metropolitan cities. I do not think it will be feasible to have it in Goa.”
Former Benaulim sarpanch Architect Royla Fernandes said, “First, being from the coastal village, I would say the taxi operators are needed for Benaulim and the coast and the tourists would also be benefited if we had our own app. I would ask why the government can’t have a dialogue with the taxi operators/owners. They have been on strike for so many years; I feel we need to get them on board as stakeholders. I want to see them having the ownership of the app. Why can’t they be their own bosses through the app?”
She went on to say that taxi drivers could get on a common platform where they could discuss and go ahead. Taxi drivers, she said, feared there could be more competition if Ola and Uber came in. Goa, she said, was not a market like Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru where these apps would work effectively. She said “We have people commuting using only Ola and Uber in those metro cities and Goa isn’t a metro. So if you have too many players coming in here for the same market then, it is affecting them and it is local people who are getting affected.”
Despite several views and opinions expressed, the question being asked by all tourism stakeholders across Goa is whether this perennial problem be ultimately resolved or will it continue to ruin Goa’s tourist image and the economy further? A permanent solution is the only remedy to this problem because failure could mean Goa bidding goodbye to its main source of revenue.
