Churchill backs local taxi owners

For the Goan taxi owners in Salcete, depriving the sons of the soil, an opportunity to earn from the slice of tourism appears to be the main reason for the objections to the app based Goa Miles taxi service. 

This is a taluka where the taxi drivers have traditionally dug in their heels to keep even the tour operators at bay.

The around 200 taxi owners in South Goa’s prominent beach Colva, who have strongly opposed Goa Miles, claiming it to be a threat to their livelihood and there have even been tense moments between the two groups recently. 

As former chief minister and Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, says tourism was promoted in Goa to give a chance to the locals to earn benefits from this industry by way of taxi service or shacks on the beach. In keeping with this, certain norms were laid down to be registered as a tourist taxi owner, so that local Goans could get the benefit.

A tourist taxi driver badge was mandatory and to get this badge, the applicant had to be a resident of Goa for at least 15 years besides getting a “good character” certificate from a local elected representative, preferably the MLA. These two were mandatory and only after producing these documents, the applicant was issued a tourist taxi driver badge.

However, this badge is not made mandatory for the drivers of Goa Miles taxis and that is what is irritating the traditional taxi drivers. “This means that anybody can come tomorrow from any place in India and become a driver of Goa Miles taxi. How can this be permitted? Especially in the present times when Goa is under security threat?” asked Churchill.

He along with the tourist taxi owners asserted that most of the drivers of the Goa Miles taxis are migrants, who have come from other states and further alleged that most of them are Muslims who do not even know the local language.

Given the fact that the tourist taxi badge is not mandatory for Goa Miles taxi drivers, anybody can drive those vehicles, as they need not be someone who has lived in Goa for at least 15 years nor does he need to have a good character certificate.

Besides, there is a fear as expressed by the local taxi drivers that the app-based taxis will turn into a corporate affair, where few individuals will earn money by hiring any Tom, Dick or Harry as drivers at a cheap rate. “The Goa Miles taxis belong to only two rich people who have purchased the vehicles in the name of various Goans,” said Churchill, while pointing out that the owner of the tourist taxi feeds his own family by driving the vehicle himself.

Jose Afonso of the South Goa Tourist Taxi Association lamented that, even though the law stipulates that Goa Miles taxis should not be parked at any stand or place but should only drop their passengers and go away, some officials of GTDC are promoting them by allowing them to park at Colva Residency even after they drop their passengers.

“We taxi owners operating from hotels go by the rates prescribed by the hotel management, which is lower than what the government has prescribed and in fact the passenger pays the hotel the taxi fare and not us and we in turn collect from the hotel,” he said, dismissing the charge that tourist taxi owners charge exorbitant rates. “If the government believes that we over charge, then let the Goa Miles operate only in the cities from where they can drop the passengers to the beaches, why are they encroaching on our livelihood?” he asked.

The tourist taxi owners refute the allegation that they quote whatever rate comes to their mind is an oft-repeated-lie that has been used to tarnish their image and reputation. They stress upon the fact that they charge the rates prescribed by the government. However, they do admit that there may have been some stray cases of violations and argue that all the taxi owners cannot be tainted by the same brush.