PANJIM: The GoaMiles taxi drivers on Saturday claimed that as many as 511 persons from Pernem taluka have joined the App based taxi service and appealed to the local MLA Pravin Arlekar to support them.
Reacting to the clash between the traditional taxi operators and App-based taxi drivers outside the residence of Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar on Thursday, the GoaMiles drivers said that they operate a taxi only after being booked by a customer. “We have to pick-up the customer from the hotel or from anywhere if he had booked the taxi,”
Stating that the battle between the two warring groups and assaulting a GoaMiles Taxi driver at Pernem was unfortunate, they said, “We had gone to meet Pernem MLA to air our grievances. He told us to stop the App-based taxi service. We don’t know why? We asked him what should we do then? It was Arlekar who had handed over the keys to us under ‘Taxi Patrao Scheme.’ Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has now assured us the government’s support?"
Refuting the allegations that they were charging less than the government approved rates, the App-based taxi service operators clarified that they charge as per the rates/fares notified by the Department of Transport in the Official Gazette.
They further pointed out that the counter at the Mopa international airport was inaugurated by the government last year. “We are equipped with all the requisites including badges, permits and are governed by the Government of India and we all 511 are from Goa operating taxis and doing it legally. The RTO should check the other taxi operators whether they have all the required permissions and permits to ply.”