PANJIM: The North Goa Rent-a-Car Association called for a revision of the government’s decision to ban renting cars in the State saying this was their means of livelihood. They asked that no new permits be granted but to legalize the ones that have currently applied with the Transport department. They are also in talks with the taxi owners association that had recently protested the renting system.
The association with its 360 members and around 1,000 cars mostly comprise of Goans that were once promised help from Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, to get permits for rent-a-car and bikes but are now faced with mounting loans ever since the ban on rent a cabs. Ramdas Palkar, president of the association said, “We are not asking for the department to grant fresh permissions to those applying but to legalise the ones that have the permits. Presently no rent-a-car from North Goa has a permit but South Goa does.”
Legal counsel for the association Advocate Kapil Phatte said that as per the Motor Vehicles Act, rent-a-car was a scheme that was notified by the central government to help the employment sector. But with big travel agents and private companies filing applications in the 100s, the locals were being left out.
“It is their right to apply for rent-a-car permits because it is as per the law. You cannot stop them from it but what the RTO must do is scrutinize each application they receive,” he said.
Earlier this week, the North Goa’s Tourist Taxi Owners Association had raised objections to the government’s permission to rent-a-car claiming outsiders were cashing in on the tourism sector.
Commenting on this Palkar said the rent a cab association that is a Goan only group was in talks with the tourist taxi association to reach a settlement soon.
