Team Herald
PANJIM: Demanding that the GPS and digital meter system in taxi be scrapped, the North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association (NGTTOA) on Monday alleged that this is a major scam by the State government.
At a meeting in Panjim, NGTTOA Secretary Vinayak Nanoskar said, “Rs 4000 of every system being fitted will go to the government.”
Speaking on allegations that taxi drivers are looting tourists, he said, taxi owners are not cheaters. “The government has notified charts for travelling from one place to another (price per distance) and have already been put up in cars,” he said and demanded that the GPS and digital metre law be scrapped
NGTTOA also accused the government of transferring Tourism Director Ameya Abyankar, since he was helping the association fight the government’s arrogant attitude.
Nanoskar said, “We did not reject digital metre and GPS system, but we filed an objection towards this implementation and the government has stayed blind about this instead of solving the issue.”
NGTTOA accused the government of ignoring them and claimed that taxi owners and drivers have run the business for years and do not deserve this treatment.
NGTTOA also stated that if the court’s decision on December 16 is against them, taxis all over Goa will protest on December 23 this year.
NGTTOA president Vasu Arlekar said, “The government is troubling the poor. I want to ask Narendra Modi to ask the Goa government and the Transport department to stop troubling us. It is December 2015 and acche din have still not come for us.”
There are currently 12,000 people involved in running taxis, and feeding their families solely on this business. The implementation of Rent-a-Cab can be rejected by the government considering the issues of taxi owners and drivers.
The meeting was attended by Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Shiv Sena Goa chief Ajitsingh Rane, and activist Swati Kerkar. They urged NGTTOA members to remain unites and fight for justice.
Lobo said, “According to law 100 vehicles can be registered as Rent-a-Cabs, but since Goa is a small State, there is no way this can be implemented. Where will all the vehicles be kept? How many people who were self employed will be helpless and unemployed?”
He assured his participation in the fight against the government and said he has already spoken to the Chief Minister on the issue and is awaiting an appropriate decision.
