Team Herald
VASCO: United Taximen Union, an association of yellow black taxis at Dabolim Airport on Saturday expressed their gratitude towards the State government for the additional taxi counter at the airport and for closing the GoaMiles counter.
President Vidyadhar Divkar said that backdoor entry of GoaMiles at Dabolim Airport took place in 2018 and it affected the taxi business badly in the State. This forced us to agitate against the GoaMiles taxi business. Also from across Goa, the State taxi associations had started agitation against GoaMiles. Eventually, the State government moved out the GoaMiles taxi business at Dabolim Airport.
“We have received a lot of support from the State government and Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho,” he said.
General Secretary Prasad Prabhugaokar said that taxi operators across Goa, including Dabolim Airport in the COVID-19 pandemic had suffered a huge financial loss. GoaMiles, which had been doing app-based business in Goa since 2018, started taking over taxi business at the airport.
Prabhugaokar said that the State government finally removed the GoaMiles taxi counter from the airport after protesting against it from the whole taximen. All the people’s representatives from Mormugaon Taluka, Urban Development Minister Milind Naik, Transport Minister Mauvin Gudinho, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, Cortalim MLA Alina Saldhana and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant supported the taximen. In a way, the State government has given justice to the taxi drivers, operators in the State by removing GoaMiles from the airport.
Commenting on the “rent-a-cab” business, President of All Goa Yellow Black Taxi Association President Sanjay Naik said, “Taxi drivers serving illegal tourists at the airport will also be prosecuted by the State Transport Director.”
