Team Herald
PANJIM: A delegation of six-seater autorickshaw operators on Thursday met Secretary (Transport) Tariq Thomas regarding Transport Department’s refusal to register their vehicles as rickshaws.
South Goa (6-seater) Operators Association President Francis D’Silva alias Packlo said they brought to the notice of the Secretary the judgement passed by the State Transport Appellate Tribunal directing the Transport Department to process the permit by allowing the replacement of the vehicle with the new as per the Section 83 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
D’Silva claimed that though they have replaced the old three-wheeled vehicle with a new four-wheeled vehicle, the vehicle has to be classified as an autorickshaw and not a taxi as contested by the Transport Department.
In the representation to the Secretary (Transport), the Association stated that the Assistant Director of Transport, Margao was refusing to renew their permits and fitness certificates claiming it to be taxi. He also charged that the officer was asking the digital meter manufacturer not to fit meters to their vehicles.
D’Silva stated that the Assistant Director of Transport was not accepting the Tribunal’s order arguing that the Judge had made a mistake in the judgement.
He said that the Assistant Director of Transport was indulging in dereliction of duty and contempt of court.
According to D’Silva, the Secretary (Transport) has assured them that he would look into the matter and resolve it within next three to four days.
In another letter to the Secretary (Transport), the South Goa (6-seater) Operators Association has demanded revision of fares.
D’Silva said that the government had revised their fares in 2013 and that the fuel prices had now sky-rocketed. Besides this, the operators also suffered due to the pandemic situation, he said adding that the government has already decided to revise the taxi fares in the State.
