Govt, cabbies agree to move ahead with consensus, positivity

Team Herald

VASCO: In a latest move aimed at resolving the vexed taxi issue, a delegation of cabbies met Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho on Saturday to discuss the draft transport aggregator guidelines and agreed to come out with a policy that supports their livelihood and also serves the public efficiently.

Both parties requested for a larger meeting with all taxi unions from across the State on a common platform to facilitate in-depth discussions to move ahead with consensus and positivity.

After the meeting at Vasco, South Goa Taxi Union president Sunil Naik said, “This was our first formal meeting with the Transport Minister after forming our new union. We placed all our concerns and suggestions before the Minister, and he heard us patiently.”

Naik said that the Minister told them that the draft aggregator policy is not finalised and that further consultations will be held. He said that they have requested for a larger meeting with all taxi unions from the State on a common platform to facilitate in-depth discussions.

Endorsing Naik’s views, North Goa union leader Savio Goes said that taxi business is a traditional Goan livelihood passed down through generations.

He said that they appealed to the minister to protect their interests and expressed his happiness that Godinho understood their concerns.

Claiming that the meeting with taxi unions was “very fruitful”, Godinho said that the government is not in a hurry to implement any policy without comprehensive dialogue.

“They (taxi unions) have submitted their suggestions and concerns, and I am happy to say the meeting ended on a positive note,” Godinho said.

Stressing the importance of digital transformation, Godinho said, “Taxi operators must start trusting technology. It will not harm their business, but rather open up new opportunities. We want to create a system where technology helps both tourists and locals find taxis easily. The operators too agreed that a digital platform would be beneficial.

Godinho informed that the government would inform the Court about the upcoming digital platform policy, which would automatically notify fares as per the tariff and be accessible via mobile phones. He also proposed a temporary relief from mandatory fitment of digital meters and renewal costs until the digital system is in place.

“I have told the taxi operators that we will work together to arrive at a policy that supports their livelihood and also serves the public efficiently,” Godinho said, adding that more meetings will follow so as to move ahead with consensus and positivity,” the Minister said.