Parsekar said the crackdown would begin from Thursday, while speaking at a meeting attended by Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, GTDC Chairman Nilesh Cabral, North SP Umesh Gaonkar and other concerned officials.
Soon after the meeting, police stations across the north Goa district were issued instructions to take action against four-wheelers operating as ‘tourist taxis’ without valid permits. “I have already asked the police stations to take action against operators of private cars, who give them out to tourists for self-drive, without permission from the local authorities,” Gaonkar told Herald after the meeting.
The taxi operators had earlier complained about the rampant illegal activity in the north Goa, which was in turn hampering businesses of the legal taxi operators. They alleged that vehicles with black and white number plates were illegally given on hire to tourists, and demanded action against them.
Their other demands included releasing notification to stop hotel owned vehicles, displaying fare chart boards at all taxi stands, hotels and public places, and banning any permission to outside taxi services such as Ola cabs, Meru cabs, zoom taxis, Mega cabs, Taxi For Sure, etc.
