MARGAO: On Thursday, South Goa taxi owners voiced their demand to cease the alleged harassment they attribute to the GoaMiles App-based taxis, claiming interference with their operations. A delegation led by Valencio Savio Goes, representing South Goa Tourism Stakeholders, met with South Goa Member of Parliament Captain Viriato Fernandes, urging him to intervene in the matter.
The MP assured the taxi owners that he would raise the issue with the relevant authorities on their behalf.
“As the starred hotels in the coastal belt demanded high-end taxis, we have invested in luxury vehicles like Toyota Innova, BMW, Mercedes, etc., to cater to the well-heeled tourists staying in these hotels. Consequently, we bear higher instalments on our tourist vehicles,” stated the memorandum submitted to MP Fernandes.
Taxi owners claim that they operate their taxis in a queue system at every taxi stand and have established unions at respected hotel stands. “Our aim was to secure sustainable livelihoods for our families through this self-employed taxi business, but nowadays, we have observed major interference from GoaMiles App-based taxis, which are taking away our business and leaving us waiting at our hotel stands without any customers,” stated the taxi owners.
Goes mentioned that they have received information indicating that the current airport in South Goa at Dabolim may become non-functional starting from the current season onwards. “We fear that the closure of Dabolim airport will result in fewer tourists, which would directly impact the business of taxi owners in the South district,” he remarked with concern.
Taxi owners also informed the MP that they feel they are being deliberately defamed. “The Transport Minister is unfit to run the department as he has failed to resolve our issues over the past several years,” they said.
In response to the grievances raised, Fernandes assured the taxi owners that he would promptly take up the matter with the authorities. “Tourism is the biggest industry in Goa, and we are committed to resolving this issue. The matter has already been raised with the authorities in Delhi. Local taxi drivers are integral stakeholders of the tourism sector. The government introduced the app without adequately considering its consequences,” he stated.
He emphasised that the government has not sufficiently considered how to ensure coexistence among all stakeholders. “Everything seems to have been done with the vote bank in mind. The government must find a solution that takes all aspects into account. We need a long-term solution that prioritises Goa’s interests over political considerations. Sustainability for everyone involved must be ensured,” said the MP.
‘GoaMiles mostly employs Goan drivers, CUSTOMERS are happy with pricing’
PANJIM: Utkarsh Dabadhe, CEO of GoaMiles, set the record straight on the company’s hiring practices and pricing strategy, and hinted that the company may file a complaint against those who attacked its drivers in Pernem on Thursday.
“There is a wrong notion that is spread in the market that GoaMiles employs non-Goans. A negligible number of drivers are non-Goans. The demand for increasing prices is absurd. The passengers are happy and any increase in prices will upset the balance. The law-and-order situation is absolutely unacceptable. Technology is something that people want to adopt and we are standing strong in the Goa market. We are in talks with our team and after consultation, we will file a complaint soon,” Dabadhe told O Heraldo.
