Team Herald
MARGAO: Tourist taxi owners from Mobor-Cavelossim on Friday protested against the GoaMiles and demanded to scrap it at the earliest.
Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao also supported the taxi owners and urged the government to show more concern to the Goans rather than outsiders.
MLA also welcomed the decision of 15-year domicile criteria to obtain badges.
Taxi owners under the banner of Tourist Taxi Owners Union-Holiday Inn gathered near the hotel and protested against the GoaMiles. The Union has claimed that their business had been taken over by the GoaMiles and as result, they are suffering a loss.
Taxi owners held a lengthy discussion with MLA Alemao, and other concerned authorities. The Colva Police were also noticed at the venue. The MLA and taxi owners reiterated their demand to scrap digital meters and GoaMiles.
Speaking to the media persons, one of the taxi owners said that they want the government to scrap the GoaMiles immediately. “We are losing our business due to the entry of GoaMiles. They have taken away our business, as a result we are at the suffering end,” the taxi owner stated.
MLA Alemao said that he doesn’t want the digital meters to be installed to the local tourist taxis, and also to scrap the GoaMiles.
“GoaMiles should be scrapped and only the taxis attached to concerned hotels should get the business. We are opposed to the hotels also if they are not benefiting the locals,” he stated.
MLA charged the Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and said that he should first have a concern for the Goans tourist taxi owners and not outsiders.
“I welcomed the decision taken by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant for announcing free digital meters to the taxis but wanted him to scrap the GoaMiles. There is no benefit for the local taxi owners once the digital meters are fixed and the GoaMiles are allowed to operate,” said Churchill.
According to Churchill, the concerned hotel management should insist upon the tourists to utilise the service of local taxis engaged at the hotel venue.
He also alleged that the tour operators are also cheating the tourists and taking away the business of Goan taxi owners.
“It is the duty of the government to support the local tourist taxi owners, as hundreds of families are surviving on taxi business in Goa,” he stated.
