Team Herald
PANJIM: A delegation of the North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association (NGTTOA) along with Calangute MLA Michael Lobo Monday met Transport minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar to find a solution to their demands to stop rent a cabs in the state.
Led by Secretary Vinayak Nanoskar, the group asked the transport minister to stop all rent a cab services after news spread that their files were being processed and they were on the verge of getting approval from the chief minister.
“We have asked for this file moving to stop completely because our businesses are at stake here. Tourism is on the decline and there are more cars and bikes than people. This will add to not only the burden on our heads but parking as well,” said Nanoskar after the meeting at the secretariat.
Lobo promised to take up the issue in the upcoming legislative assembly session later this month. Speaking about the case in Calangute, he said “as it is there is no parking space for more vehicles and rent a cab will only add to the pressure.”
The association claims they have people who have no other form of employment while the rent a cab owners have other means of generating revenue. Nanoskar said that out of 300 rent a cab owners, 100 were employed in other avenues.
Dhavalikar said there was need to check for illegality in rent a cabs and the requirements of the State based on the number of tourists visiting Goa. He said the final decision would have to be taken by the Chief Minister. The delegation decided to take the issue up with the CM as well.
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‘Accepting bribes embarrassing’
PANJIM: In light of the recent arrests of Assistant Director of Transport Uday Gawas and Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector Vaman Umbrascar for accepting bribes, Transport minister Sudin Dhavalikar said situations like these were embarrassing for the department but added that online payments would be a step in solving the issue.
“These incidents shouldn’t be happening and it because we don’t want such incidents that we have launched the portals for online payments,” he said.
He added that it was difficult to keep a check on vehicles like trucks. “When there is overloading of trucks, many of which are registered outside the State, it is difficult to keep a watch. Here there are four people involved, RTO, police, owner of the truck and the person that is receiving the consignment. If each person sticks to the rules and keeps a watch at each level it will certainly help solve the issue,” he said.
On being asked about the presence and working condition of CCTVs at the department office, the minister said they were currently not working but this was in the process of being fixed.
