TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Tourist taxi fares could shoot up by about 15 per cent, as the process for drawing up revised fares is expected to be finalized next week, based on point to point and kilometer wise calculations. The government Friday also released a substantial amount as compensation for damages to vehicles reported during the lathi charge on Monday at Porvorim.
The per kilometer charges will be calculated on 0 to 5 kilometers, 5 to 10kms , 10 to 20kms and so on. Government officials were totally engrossed with resolving the tourist taxi operators issues with two meetings convened on Friday.
The main meeting between government ministers of tourism, transport, coastal MLAs and tourist taxi operators from North and South Goa was held Friday evening, where almost all assurance given to taxi operators on Wednesday were confirmed. These include ban on any outside agency from starting taxi services in Goa, free parking space at properties of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation, ban on new permissions for rent-a –bike and rent-a-car services, modification of affidavits for registering tourist taxis, special classes for those drivers who have not cleared Std VIII and certification on successful completion of the same.
The government has however continued to keep on hold the issue pertaining to a share of excursions presently undertaken by tour operators.
Likewise the taxi operators have not fully co-operated on the issue pertaining to installation of meters. The demand is that meters could be installed for yellow and black taxis only.
The meeting was attended by Benaulim MLA Caitano Silva, Mandrem MLA and Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, Saligao MLA and Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar and Transport Minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar along with directors and secretaries of the department of tourism and transport. Representatives from the tourist taxi associations of North and South Goa were present.
Friday morning the government met police officials to deliberate on the ground realities and has taken stock of the latest scenario pertaining to tourist taxi operators, tour operators, touts and other issues. The government has also assured tourist taxi operators to crack down on illegalities through its district wise squads.
Vasu Arlekar, President of the North Goa Tourist Taxi association said that the meeting was successful and the associations are hopeful of finalizing the taxi fares shortly through meetings with the transport department.
