MARGAO: While having discussions with the South Goa taxi owners, Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva has strongly criticized the transport department for being anti-Goan and called for a ban on rent a-cab services among other issues raised by the local taxi drivers.
Silva stated that thousands of taxi drivers livelihoods were at stake and questioned why the transport department was repeatedly trying to favour non Goans. He referred to the taxi strike he had supported last year over the rent-a-cab issue and highlighted how the tourism department launched the lady taxi service while giving the contract to an outside agency.
While defending the taxi drivers against charges of high handedness and cheating, Silva said that the taxi drivers had to survive and that all hotels, tour buses and other stakeholders in the tourism industry were then guilty of the same charges. He gave the examples of how hotels rates increase and come down during the season and off season time and no regular fixed rates and how tour buses charge foreign currency for their services.
He added that by allowing new entrants in the taxi business would just lead to congestion of the already tight market and cause losses to the Goans.
He added that the government should first look at solving the existing grievances of the Goan taxi operators instead of trying to impose rules and curb their business.
He also demanded that such meter system which he is opposing be mandatory to everyone if implemented and questioned why it had been compulsory when recently transport department had declared point-to-point fare to be charged by the tourist taxis.
Pledging full support to the agitation of tourist taxi operators, the Benaulim MLA warned that that he would join the tourist taxi operators in stopping the new taxi players in Salcete.
“I will stand by them till the very last. I am part of the government but my body and soul lies with the tourist taxi operators. The government cannot permit new players in the taxi trade at the cost of our local Goan boys earning a living from the taxi trade”
said Silva.
