Ponda taxi operators have demanded that the government take strict action against unregistered, private taxi owners. They complained that unlicensed taxis were eating into the business of legal operators, who pay huge amounts of tax to the government and ply their vehicles at low rates.
Meanwhile, at least 100 taxi owners operating from Dada Vaidya Chowk, the Ponda bus stand, and Hotel Sun Inn have formed the Maruti Taxi Association (MTA), which is affiliated to the North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association (NGTTOA).
“We have been ferrying people at government-fixed rates for many years. The last few years, saw the entry of private taxi operators, who own at least two to three vehicles and charge Rs 100 less to attract our customers. Some hotels and companies contact these operators with the hopes of getting commission when providing them with customers. Thus, private taxis are hired by people for company visits to industrial estates and tourist destinations in Ponda, due to which we lose our business,” said MTA president Baban Sawant.
He continued, “We have brought the issue to the notice of the RTO and traffic police several times and even provided registration numbers of such private taxis, asking for surprise raids on them. But the RTO is not serious about curbing the issue. Even if the unlicensed operators are fined, it is a meagre amount. Inadequate business makes it difficult for us to pay taxes. It is not possible for us to provide numbers of such operators every time and create enmity, but we want the RTO to act as we are the tax payers.”
According to Sawant, the MTA members pay around Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 annually as taxes, which include road tax, passenger tax, insurance, and parking tax.
“Whether it is rainy, winter or summer, they come early in the morning and go late in the evening, but private taxi owners grab their passengers and cause them losses. Hotels or companies are involved in illegally hiring such taxis for site-seeing tours, etc, which should be the job of our registered taxi owners,” said Sawant, adding, “We demand a strict penalty or ban on private taxi owners. We had even complained to the PWD Minister and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and are waiting for action.
He also lamented that due to high entry fees in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the taxi owners cannot afford to ferry passengers to those states. He requested the Goa government to negotiate with other states to minimise or abolish the fees for taxi owners.
Sawant also stated that Ponda is a popular tourist destination, but nothing is being done to attract tourists, which will boost the businesses of locals, including taxi owners.
He added that the taxi operators are ready to fix digital meters in their vehicles, which was recently made compulsory by the government, but the authorities should first stop the operations of illegal private taxi owners.
