PANJIM: Tourism Minister Manohar ‘Babu’ Azgaonkar has appealed the local taxi operators to take up online cab service as a challenge while hinting that outstation agencies – which are a hit in the metropolitan cities - would be a good initiative in the tourist-popular State. 

“It is a good attempt…. I am not saying that Ola and Uber cabs should be brought to Goa but I also believe that our Goans (local tourism stakeholders) should take up the challenge,” he said speaking to Herald. 

Azgaonkar maintained that in the competitive world, the tourist taxi operators should not feel threatened by the online/app cab service, if at all it is introduced in Goa. The government, he said, has however not received any fresh proposal. 

“There is competition in every field, and we Goans should not fear to take it up as a challenge. Let us enhance ourselves in the sectors we are good at. Our Goenkars should come forward,” he stated quickly adding that government will not take any decision without consulting the stakeholders. “We do not want our Goans to bear any losses,” he further commented. 

The minister claimed he was oblivious about the online drive initiated by Mahesh Sardesai that lists out advantages of Ola and Uber cabs. The State has earned bad name in the wake of increasing rise in passenger complaints against the tourist taxi operators for overcharging, rudeness and not taking direct routes to certain destinations; which Herald has been consistently highlighting. Raining complaints on the social media from visitors, who go back with not-so-good memories owing to the ‘fare loot’, has raised concern among the stakeholders whether Goa government is really serious about shedding the bad image.  

The then tourism minister Dilip Parulekar’s attempt to bring Ola cabs in Goa saw a major discontent among the taxi operators, who were backed by some ruling legislators. They threatened to launch a stir if government went ahead with the proposal. The government had to bog down to the demands. 

The State has also been dragged to the court for failing to implement install GPS-capable digital fare meters in tourist taxis. The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) and Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) moved the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking to direct the government to implement its decision to make digital meters compulsory for tourist taxis. The matter is fixed for order on June 12.

After initially protesting the concept, the taxi operators set conditions before the government. “We accept the cabinet decision but not until the authorities crackdown on the hoteliers too. If we overcharge our passengers, then why are the hotel industries left out? A consistent fare on every route should be imposed on them as well,” All Goa Tourist Taxi Association secretary Vinayak Nanoskar was quoted as saying.