PANJIM: The All Goa Taxi Owners Association on Thursday demanded that the State government should extend its deadline by three months for feedback from all stakeholders on the proposed revision of the existing taxi fare rates.
While the deadline, which expired on May 6, has been extended to May 16, North Goa Taxi Union leader Sunil Naik said, “More time is needed and that the inbox of the email account given for submitting the feedback is full and that their emails keep bouncing back.”
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Naik and Mandrem Taxi Union leader Sanjay Kole said, “In this COVID time, they should not be asked to make trips to the RTO offices and that they are busy dealing with the large number of COVID cases in their respective areas.”
Kole went a step ahead and asked that the government utilise the funds that have been earmarked for procuring digital meters and putting in place the entire system for COVID management instead given the problems in the existing healthcare infrastructure.
He spoke about people complaining of lack of oxygen and beds and thus such funds should be immediately diverted for COVID management.
He also called for a COVID centre to be notified at a Pernem hospital.
He also suggested that taxi meters are not feasible for the taxi operators and instead the government should put point-to-point rates on a website with a helpline number wherein customers can complain if any taxi driver doesn’t abide by these rates.
He added that the permit and licence of such taxi operators can be cancelled and reiterated that taxi operators are not ‘looters’ as has been the allegation against them.
Commenting on the proposed revision of taxi fares, for which feedback has been called for, Naik expressed his displeasure over the proposal saying there has been an extremely minor increase, which is not sufficient.
He pointed out that the last time the rates were increased were in 2014 and since then costs of every commodity has increased and so also the cost of living. He gave the example of petrol prices having increased in the last few months alone.
Naik recalled that the Transport Minister had promised to hold a second round of talks, which is yet to happen.
Stating that the second meeting may have been delayed due to the COVID pandemic, Naik said the taxi operators hope to sort out the issue regarding the rates and other issues at this meeting.
