TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Pilerne Citizens Forum has given the government 24 hours ultimatum to sort out the tourist taxi operators issues, in the aftermath of the tourist taxi owners strike, violence and subsequent lathi charge and bursting of tear gas Monday. Failing this, they would come out on the streets and oppose the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, PCF said.
They demanded that government should cancel the licences of more companies like Ola cabs which are lined up to come to Goa. Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane too said if there was any involvement of politicians backing operations of Olacabs is proved, government should take action against them as well.
Activists alleged that Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar and Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Nilesh Cabral had a hand in granting permission to Olacabs and demanded an investigation.
According to them Olacabs are operating without permission from transport department. It is only the tourism ministry in Goa that has given permission.
Olacabs, whose permission has since been rescinded, had officially launched its service in Goa earlier this month offering point-to-point taxi services in Goa at Rs 15 per km.
According to the company Olacabs does not charge extra night charges or extra driver allowance at any time of the day and one gets the comfort of being picked up at their door step.
The PCF addressing the media along with some taxi drivers condemned the lathi charge on agitating taxi drivers Monday night saying that this government was only interested in suppressing the poor. According to the forum, cabs were owned and driven by locals and this was what was earned by them to keep their families afloat.
