It is appropriate I think, we revisit the ugly spectacle of a paltry 50-odd cabbies holding a whole International Liner up, full of International Tourists with prepaid trips, forcing it to turn back to high-seas, Goa – skipped! Last fortnight!
Let’s take a close look at the imbroglio and more importantly, what needs to be fixed.
But I’m sorry – whilst every voice in indignation seemed to claim, “App-Based Cabs” that’s the one and only jadoo to cleanse the mess, strangely no voice wanted; “better monitoring, better implementation, and better actions”! For example, Voices from High-Ups in the Administration proclaimed, “the transport department will directly terminate the licenses of those taxi drivers and owners who harassed the nearly 100 foreign tourists who had arrived aboard the cruise ship”. My question is, how many licenses of Drivers and Owners have been “directly cancelled” in the last 16 days already?
My Take: I think our diagnostics are wrong. No – It’s not App-Basing cabs, that’s the solution, it’s certainly a part, yes! But the important question is of Management: and this means: Institution of the Rules, Monitoring Compliance, Reporting Non-Compliances and Punishments as to be stated in Rules. Take the examples of Speed-Governors. We thought that’s the real cure for our cab-maladies. So were installed thousands of expensive speed-governors! But cab-maladies persisted. Then Electronic Meters; After months and years of confabulations and juridical time, finally, ten thousand cabs were installed with meters. Years pass by – our tourists remain still where they were, constantly fleeced, refused, humiliated, late-night-flight charges, luggage charges and all that with remarkably less than “atithee-devo-bhavah” language!
The moot point is, even with a State-Of-The-Art-App in his phone, jostling in the chaotic melee as you exit the airport gate, our tourist busy with his overloaded trolley, booking hurriedly a cab on his App, only to find after five minutes, “the driver cancels the trip”, is that a happy ending? Could happen particularly in linear destinations, where the driver stays say, in Canacona and your hotel is at Morjim and you arrive at dead-night! There’s very little you can do about it, we are a democracy, everybody has a right to cancel! Then, here comes the tout, with an offer for “7,000/- for Morjim”, the poor tourist at 11 at night with a whole family with kids in arms, luggage to haul, hardly has a choice! Gurgaon, I remember, had this problem of “Driver’s Refusal” in App-Cabs, but then, the Transport Department acted fast along with the Aggregators!
I’ve heard pious intentions, “only app-based cabs will be allowed at Mopa”! Very fine indeed! But will the cabbie who stays at Thivim, actually drive you to Mobor, or won’t he refuse you, for a passenger at Vagator, where his optimal usage factor is many times more? Will you spend a couple of hours now at dead-night searching for a Canacona-based cabbie?
I think the pre-calculations of fare in such cases of the optimum usage parameters need to be built into the algorithms some of which could be unique to Goa. Kerala, our neighbours, has a flourishing App-Based Cab industry, may-be instead of planning participation in international travel mega-marts, our Tourism Captains could perhaps pay a neighbourly visit to “Gods own Country” and pick up a little more of the tricks of the trade!
My second suggestion is education. Educating cabbies on how dynamic pricing, efficiency and asset-utilisation works. With major Aggregators offering loans for purchase of their vehicles, they become young entrepreneurs overnight!
The third is on strengthening alternatives and developing healthy competition, as in other Airports, say at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport. The Tourist has to have alternatives in his hands. If he doesn’t have a hotel-coach or a company-car to receive him, he should be able to choose an AC Bus to the City Centre or in most 2nd Tier Metros, a Metro Train! In Goa you have no alternative. There’s an “Off-now-On-now” Kadamba EV Bus, I’ve read about, (but never seen), but that’s supposed to drop you at Panjim and Calangute only and only twice a day. So, if your destination with your trolley-full luggage is at Palolem, Ponda or Pernem, God save you!
I miss here, Mr Parrikar’s “Comprehensive Mobility Plan” he announced in his Budget of June 2017 and he announced extensive connectivity across the State. He provided 150 crore-rupees as well, I clearly remember! What I don’t remember is, what happened to the project and the money!
I’ve seen, Kadamba EV Shuttle-Busses here and there as well, but if you get a bus – it’s a fluke, without an Intra-State and Intra-City time-table published on the KTCL Web-Site, how can our tourist plan his movements, particularly in a destination where the local cab-fare often is more than the plane-fare he paid from his home!
My sixth suggestion is on Inland River and Coastal-Ways with fast ferries and catamarans. We need to do much more using our rivers and sprawling coast-line for passenger transportation. For example, an efficient North-South coastal catamaran service originating at Dabolim, or East-West branches, Vasco to Chandor or say, Panjim to Chandreshwar or, Panjim to Corjuem, or, Chapora to Alorna or, Querim to Patradevi, what’s stopping us?
The self-drive-rented-cars were an excellent option, but unless they come as substitutes for existing cabs, it’s no use, given our narrow city-roads’ parking problems and some unruly young tourists.
And before I conclude. About four months back empowered panels were appointed to help execute a “25-year vision” and I’m sure they would be sharing a few highlights of their preliminary findings. I think it’s willingness to be serious and a grasp on possible impacts which is important, hoping to see more of that, soonest!
(Binayak Datta is a finance professional)
