PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar met agitating taxi owners late Monday night and asked them to withdraw the strike, assuring that he had instructed his officials to take cognizance of their demands.
“We will be meeting them on February 26. As of now the Ola cabs issue has been resolved,” chief minister told media after meeting them at which Art and Culture Minister Dayanand Mandrekar and MLA Michael lobo.
Michael Lobo speaking to the media also said that the departments of tourism and transport should have taken some action as this was a long standing issue and not allowed it to get our of hand.
Earlier in the day, the tourist taxi operators assembled at the Mandovi bridge and shouted slogans, even as a large police posse was present. The police foiled their attempts to stop a few taxis which were plying.
Meanwhile, the Road Transport Authority (RTA), Panjim Monday issued a letter to Olacabs to stops its taxi business with immediate effect deeming the same as illegal.
The communiqué was pasted on the office door of the agency here in Panjim, according to officials of the transport department. The transport department again clarified that no permission was granted to Olacabs for operating in the State even as the matter comes under the jurisdiction of the RTA.
Transport Director Arun Desai told Herald on Monday, “The taxi operators have put up several demands and the government has opened the doors for dialogue on several issues.” He said that till date none of the taxi operators have come forward to discuss the issue of taxi fares even as STA was ready with the issue. “It is surprising that they have not come forward to discuss the same,” Desai said pointing that the chief minister had clearly issued instructions during the January 30 meeting that taxi operators and STA should discuss the same due to demand tourist taxi fares revision.
The transport department also irked by today’s stir of taxi operators pointed out that there is also a moratorium on rent -a- car and rent -a- bike since April 2013, likewise the subsidy schemed for taxis is also in effect as around 55 have availed the benefits of the scheme.
“It is difficult to figure out what more the taxi operators intended to achieve through this strike,” Desai said.
Meanwhile, the directorate of transport has issued a communiqué in which they have said that there is a meeting scheduled on February 27 and that it had fulfilled demands of All Goa/All India Tourist Taxi Unions fulfilled by the Government during 2013-14 like having a moratorium on Rent-A-Cab Scheme from 01st April, 2013 to 31st March, 2014; Moratorium on Rent-A-Bike Scheme from 01st April, 2013 to 31st March, 2014; subsidy Scheme for Tourist Taxis (Single Taxi Owner before September, 2013) of 25% of the cost subject to ceiling of Rs.2.50 lakhs. (Total 55 applications for Subsidy under the Scheme have been approved till date.); implemented proportionate Tax Schedule for Tourist Taxis. Only tax for the balance life till 15 years is to be paid at the time of conversion from Tourist Taxi to private vehicle.
The department has said that the scheme of Point to Point fare has been placed as agenda item for next STA meeting on 25/02/2014 and the Director of Transport is awaiting response from associations/taxi owners to finalise the Scheme.
