Team Herald
VASCO: The members of Mormugao Motorcycle Taxi Association (MMTA) on Friday demanded action against mushrooming of illegal private motorcyclists in the port town due to which the registered motorcycle taxi operators have been facing severe loss. MMTA has also submitted a memorandum in this regard to the deputy collector Mormugao Mahadev Araundekar seeking solution to the issue.
According to the MMTA President Babu Asolkar some private motorcyclists ferry passengers at various points under Mormugao Municipal jurisdiction. He said that these people do not have permits to transport passengers on their motorcycles. This alleged illegal business, they claimed, is causing heavy loss to the MMTA members.
“Since last several months we have been observing that private motorcyclists pick up passengers near Monteiro bar-opposite Prabhat hotel, behind deputy collector office, at Chota bazaar Baina, at Mangor hill junction near Damodar Mangalgi bldg, Bombay Dying, railway station, at new vegetable market and at shuttle service. While we get hardly any passengers, these private motorcycle taxis have been minting money and thus today we have brought the issue before the deputy collector demanding strict action against such operations,” Asolkar said.
Another MMTA member said, “To enter into this business, we have to obtain RTO permits, and then we have many expenses like vehicle fitness certificate, pollution, insurance, vehicle passing etc. However, there is no such rule for private players and they have been taking away all our business. And when we question them, they come to fight with us questioning our rights to ask them about their business and this has been putting all our members in severe hardships and monetary loss.”
In their memorandum, MMTA claimed that earlier all motorcycle pilots were issued permits with the particular stands, however, now the permits are being issued as Municipal stand and this makes rush of motorcycle pilots at the stand near municipal building.
which leads to confusion besides problems for government and municipal vehicles.
After giving patience hearing to the grievances placed by the MMTA members, the deputy collector assured to look into the matter and to provide some early solution on the issue.
