Team Herald
VASCO: A meeting between Airport taxi union and Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) Chairman Nilesh Cabral held at Dabolim airport on Saturday turned ugly after they got engaged in a heated exchange of words over the issue of inadequate number of taxis plying from Dabolim international airport.
Cabral had come to personally meet Airport taxi operators with the intension to request them to support the government and accept bookings for all destinations in Goa as they were operating before. Taxi operators citing fear of being targeted claimed that though they are not supporting the strike but cannot ferry passengers in all routes like before as many of their members are receiving warnings with some of them even were stopped by the protestors.
“The airport taxi union has always claimed that their 350 taxis are sufficient for the movement of passengers from the airport and government has always protected them and that is why separate taxi counter is not opened here. Now, when they are saying that they are not on strike and still if they are not going out with their taxis outside, then, it is like they are indirectly supporting the strike. I will report the same to the chief minister and he will take appropriate decision,” Cabral told reporters after his meeting with airport taxi operators.
Reacting sharply, Sanjay Naik, the president of United Taximen Union blamed Carbal for the whole mess.
He said, “I feel that the ongoing taxi issue in Goa is due to Cabral. We are aware of our responsibilities.”
and in whatever available resources we are ferrying passenger’s especially handicapped, elderly and people with child in hand to Panjim and Margao bus stands from airport and to others we are asking to take bus. If we have GTDC chairman like Cabral then every month there would be strike in Goa as though we are openly supporting the government during strike but he came here to fight and to threaten us which is unfair.”
“Today our taxis were stopped by protestors and we asked for protection, so, Cabral started talking differently. We cannot take risk enmity as the same will prolong forever and we don’t want enmity with agitating taxi operators. Also Cabral should stop interfering and threatening us with opening new car rental counter,” he added.
