- VASCO: Sketchy Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for taxi counters is leading to confusion between Yellow-Black Taxi drivers and Taj India tour drivers, resulting into conflict situation between both the parties operating from Dabolim International Airport.
- Dabolim Airport Police has blamed Airport Authority of India (AAI) for the confusion as it is not sharing the copy of agreement having Do’s and Don’ts for taxi operators’ counters. Police claimed that this in turn is leading to tussle between two groups of taxi operators.
- One such incident of tussle into an assault case between a driver affiliated with Yellow-Black Taxi drivers and Taj India tour driver was reported on Sunday night. Both the parties even lodged their complaint before Dabolim Airport Police.
- “The AAI have allotted two taxi counters at the airport. One is with Yellow-Black Taxi drivers and second one is with Taj India tour. Yellow-Black taxi operators and Taj India tours have signed an agreement with the AAI with rules prohibiting these operators from soliciting customers outside their counter, however to act as per law, I need an agreement copy with rules laid down for taxi counters, but despite my repeated official request the AAI is reluctant to give me the same and hence police are getting sandwiched in their tussle on daily basis,” said Dabolim Airport PI Paresh Naik.
- The PI further added that “There is no legal provision that prohibits people soliciting customers. We have to rely on agreement but the AAI is not giving us the same and finally we are getting harassed.”
- Meanwhile, following an assault on one of their association’s member allegedly by one of the driver of Taj India tour on Sunday night, around 300 odd members of Yellow-Black taxi operators gathered at the airport to protest against the alleged assault. During the meeting, the Yellow-Black taxi operators have threatened to go on indefinite hunger strike if their issues remained unaddressed.
- “We have been facing triangular issues affecting our business at the airport on daily basis. On one hand, Taj drivers have been soliciting customers, then we have several touts eating our business and thirdly is the rent a cab operators who have been illegally running their operations from outside area of the airport. At so many forums, we have raised our issues but things haven’t changed yet. We therefore have decided to sit on an indefinite hunger strike if our issues remained unaddressed,” Prasad Prabhugaonkar, a Yellow-Black taxi union member told herald.
- Refuting the allegations, the driver affiliated to Taj tour claimed that they don’t support soliciting customers and have even suspended memberships of those found doing such illegal act.
- “Whenever we find anyone among our members doing this illegal act we have taken strict action and in some cases, we have even suspended their membership. Now with regards to Yellow-Black taxi operators, few members of them instigate our members alleging that we are illegally operating from here. Yesterday, a similar altercation had reported and even we have lodged our counter complaint before the police,” Prabhugaonkar claimed.
Sketchy SOPs for taxi counters at airport causes conflicts
Blame game between Yellow-Black taxi drivers and Taj India tour drivers over soliciting customers ends up into conflict at regular interval; Police says AAI is reluctant to share copy of agreement made with taxi operators; Copy can bring clarity on SOPs for taxi counters over soliciting customers
