Team Herald
PANJIM/margao: Friday’s strike by tourist taxi owners saw the streets of Panjim free of traffic jams during the day.
Most of the roads in Panjim were congestion-free, including the main road connecting KTC Bus Stand to Miramar, the Dayanand Bandodkar Road, which on a normal day witnesses congestion due to vehicles either parked or stopping near the Captain of Ports jetty, Santa Monica jetty and the casinos.
Even the MG Road alongside, on which is located the Directorate of Accounts and the District and Sessions Court, which normally witnesses traffic congestion through the day, had a smooth traffic flow during the day despite the two-wheelers parked as usual along the parking space.
Traffic on the most congested road of the city, the 18th June Road too had a fair smooth flow with enough parking space available for vehicles and most of the tourists either walking or on two-wheelers to their destinations.
While, taxi operators maintained that they are off the roads in protest of the government’s decision to stand by the Goa Miles app based taxi service, the taxi owners associations maintained that none of the associations had called for a strike.
On conditions of anonymity a taxi owners said, “All across today the taxi owners are off the road. Even the yellow-black taxis are off the road though you will see the counters open but no one is taking guests. This is the scenario everywhere be it in the city, the airport or the beach areas.”
In Margao, the taxi stands near Margao Residency and town area wore a deserted look all day long.
Some of the chauffeurs of Goa Miles while speaking to media said, “Bookings of GoaMiles taxi is great today. We are distributing pamphlets to tourists and assisting them to download the app and register to book a ride”.
A representative from the tourist taxis of South Goa, Roque Fernandes said, “We have been counting on Minister Michael Lobo for relief from the entire issue. If he can get 10 MLAs of Congress into BJP we expected great help from him as far as the issue is concerned”. He said that the taxi owners are only fighting for their rights.
