The reluctance of the taxi operators to install digital meters in their vehicles has surfaced again as no cab owner turned up on the first day of the period allocated for installation of the meters. Instead, a delegation of taxi operators approached the Transport Department with a plea to postpone the fitting of meters citing loss of business owing to the ongoing curfew that has been imposed and the resultant financial crunch which will make it difficult to pay for the fare meters. The department turned down the request stating that since the fare meters are being fixed in taxis as per the order of the High Court of Bombay at Goa, the department does not have the discretion to stop it, and suggested that the taxi operators approach the court for relief.
Transport Department does not have much choice in the matter. The High Court in its order dated May 6 directed that the fitment of taxi meters start within 15 days of the order, which the department has done. Taxi meters have become a major cause of friction between the government and the taxi operators, who have been resisting this for years every time the government attempted to get the meters on board. It therefore required the intervention of the High Court, that acted on a plea from the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa to bring the matter to this stage. That the principal body of tourism stakeholders in the State had to step in indicates how serious the issue is.
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Finally coming to the stage when the government is actually fitting the meters, has been a long battle that has seen protests and morchas. Just last month the taxi operators had been on a long sit-in at Panjim’s Azad Maidan demanding that the government first scrap the app-based GoaMiles cab service and then start the implementation of the fare meters. The government, however, had for the first time remained firm and had not succumbed to the demands of the taxi operators. The authorities had resolutely refused to cancel the permit to the app-based aggregator. Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho had even stated that the government would come down on the protesting operators with an iron hand.
There is not much sympathy in the State for the taxi operators who for years have been attempting to push forward the installation of fare meters. They have succeeded till now as past governments, for the last 15 years at least, have kept pushing forward the fixing of the meters. If a vote were to be taken, how many in Goa would say no to the installation of these devices in the taxis? Judging by the posts on social media of people who claim they have been fleeced by taxi drivers, there are a miniscule few who will commiserate with the taxi operators. A large percentage of these would be opposition politicians who during the agitation last month made their appearance at the protest site to get themselves some political mileage.
Digital fare meters will actually make travelling in Goa by cab a pleasure for everybody – the taxi operators as well as those who hire the taxi. The issue did come up because of the complaints of exorbitant fares charged by the operators. The entire matter has been simmering for over a decade and a half and it has to be settled permanently. The government has the court order on which to act, and will also not draw brickbats from the people for standing its ground. This is the best opportunity to bring an end to this. And, withdrawing the licence to the taxi-aggregator service is not the solution. Fixing digital taxi meters is.
