Tourist taxi operators from Margao have issued a strong warning that they will stage dharnas inside police stations if their complaints against rival operators are not taken seriously and FIRs are not promptly registered.
The operators — Mayur Rane, Salim Sheikh and Abdul — voiced frustration over what they believe is inconsistent treatment by police units in Fatorda and Canacona.
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They pointed out that the Fatorda Police wasted no time in filing an FIR against them following an altercation at the KTC bus stand, yet no such urgency was shown when Margao taxi drivers were allegedly blocked and intimidated by operators in Palolem.
According to Mayur, transport regulations clearly allow any licensed taxi operator to pick up passengers from hotels across the state. However, he alleged that operators stationed at certain hotels and resorts routinely prevent outside drivers from collecting guests — a practice he described as unlawful and increasingly common.
Referring to last week’s Palolem incident, Mayur recounted how a Margao driver was forced to leave the area by local taxi operators.
“When the situation was reversed and a Canacona taxi driver came to Margao, we only questioned him before calling the police. Yet the Fatorda Police filed an FIR against us, while the Canacona Police limited their action to a non-cognisable case. This clearly highlights the discriminatory treatment we receive,” he said.
He added that Margao drivers regularly face hostility when they travel to other parts of Goa for hotel pickups arranged through national booking platforms or direct customer requests. Local operators, he claimed, often stop them, demand to inspect their licences, and refuse to let them even halt near the hotel.
“We want to know who authorised these taxi operators to carry out such checks,” he said, calling the behaviour unwarranted and detrimental to tourism.
Many Margao drivers, he noted, end up returning empty-handed because they are not allowed to pick up their booked customers. Such practices, he warned, could harm the state’s tourism reputation.
