Govt to withdraw restrictions on tourist-taxi permits
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 3
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has said State Transport Authority’s (STA) decision to grant tourist-taxi permits to only those vehicles having engine capacity of 1000cc and above, will be withdrawn.
The chief minister made the assurance on the floor of the House on Tuesday when Opposition members as well as MLAs from the ruling party criticised the government over STA’s decision pointing out that the decision has affected common man.
Saligao MLA Dilip Parulekar who raised the issue, said the decision has affected OBC community as most of them are plying tourists taxis. With STA’s decision of restricting the permits to 1000cc and above, people with marginal income are not in a position to buy vehicles costing Rs 5-6 lakh with high engine capacity.
This is also not fair since cost of the fare remains unchanged even when an applicant buys a vehicle of 1000cc or more.
As per government’s reply, the decision was taken in order to provide better facility and safe mode of transport to the tourists. At which point Mandrem MLA Laxmikant Parsekar pointed out that it is for the tourists to decide what kind of vehicle they want to travel in and the government cannot compel them. Calangute MLA Agnel Fernandes said that the decision of STA would go against common man and urged the chief minister to intervene.
The STA has been refusing to grant permits to taxis and maxi-cabs having less than 1000 cc for the last three years. The Opposition asserted that with such decisions, the government would finish off the aam aadmi.
Rising to the occasion, Transport Minister Sudin Dhavlikar said they were reviewing decision of the STA.
At which point, Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar countered “Why it has taken two years to review the decision?”
The chief minister intervened and assured that the government would not make the aam aadmi suffer. Acknowledging that the decision has affected a large number of taxi owners, he said, old system of issuing tourist permits would be followed.
