19 Sep 2023  |   05:54am IST

Private bus owners submit four representations to Transport Dept

Demand provisional licence to operate taxi aggregator service; seek cancellation of provisional licence to Goa taxi app; want booklets of passengers and road tax paid; request for batch tokens for commercial vehicle operators

Team Herald

PANJIM: The All Goa Private Bus Owners Association (AGPBOA), Panjim on Monday submitted four separate representations to the Department of Transport, demanding immediate cancellation of provisional licence given to operate Goa Taxi App and to grant them provisional licence to provide similar aggregator service.

In two other representations, the AGPBOA has demanded booklets of passengers and road tax paid and to make batch tokens available for commercial vehicle operators. 

AGPBOA general secretary Sudip Tamankar reiterated that the government cannot grant provisional licence to the taxi app aggregator by violating the Motor Vehicle Act. Since the Department of Transport has now granted provisional licence to the GEL to operate Goa taxi app service, the Association has now applied for the same. He alleged that the Department granted licence to Goa Miles App aggregator in 2018, a year before the State Transport Authority (STA) framed guidelines for the aggregators.

Tamankar pointed out that in the past the government had rejected the application of three private taxi aggregators seeking licences and both were informed that the STA was still in the process of finalising guidelines. But the STA met in January this year and approved single-point agenda of granting provisional licence to Goa Taxi App aggregator.

“How can the government grant provisional licence to start Taxi App service when guidelines are not finalised? It is in violation of Motor Vehicle Act,” he said adding that he would be forced to approach the Court if the government fails to stop it.