Rosario Menezes
For decades, the taxi operators of this touristic state have had a love hate relationship with the public and the government and taken the customers for a proverbial “royal ride.” The taxi operators want high earnings but only on their unfair at times extortive terms and conditions. Further, the taxi operators oppose every proposal put forward by the government to rationalize the functioning and the fares charged by the taxi operators or provide a competitive level playing field for the users of taxi services. These include the fitting of taxi metres and speed governers which is mandatory in most parts of the country.
Perhaps part of the problem is that some if not many of the authorities run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, playing both sides depending upon the immediate circumstances . The situation is compounded perhaps by the fact that many of the authorities in government are themselves directly or indirectly taxi operators.
In most metros, app-based taxi services operate smoothly without any conflict with the regular taxi operators. Why then should the local taxi operators oppose the app-based service? Recently in Pune, I paid Rs 150 for a roughly fifteen kilometer ride to the airport, roughly works out to Rs 10 per kilometer, which is reasonable.
In contrast, a five kilometer ride from the airport to Vasco town, is charged Rs 300 to 400 which works out to Rs 60 to 70 per kilometer. Absolutely legalised day light extortion.
Recently there is a telephone-based taxi service who regularly claim to be offering a more affordable, reasonable service.
When I phoned this service and enquired about the fare from Vasco town to the airport, the booking staff quoted a fare of Rs 500. When I pointed out that the prepaid desk at the airport charges Rs 200 the response was that their minimum charge is Rs 400. Unheard of policy, quite clearly an unfair trade practice.
During the recent 3-day taxi strike the government had a golden opportunity to bite the bullet, take the bull by the horns and bring in the app-based taxi services like Ola and Uber which are running successfully across the country, without having a conflict with the regular taxi operators. For some years now, citizens have been demanding that government licence the app-based taxi services, who are waiting in the wings to start operations in Goa. There was even a signature campaign for the same.
Unfortunately government seems to have once again sold out the interests of the tourist and the suffering citizens of the state, and bowed before the demands of the taxi operators
It is high time that all stake holders open their eyes, and realise that technological progress cannot be blocked indefinitely. This charade and double game must end, the sooner the better for all stake holders.
