Team Herald
PANJIM: The taxi operators’ strike against the making of speed governors mandatory in commercial vehicles has not gone down too well with the State government that is considering tightening the noose around them.
After the then BJP-led coalition’s proposal to introduce privately-run Ola cab service in Goa faced opposition from the same lobby, the government was forced to bow down to their demands, in a way to also ensure that local self-employed persons were not deprived of their livelihood, but the fresh tirade against speed governors has upset the Manohar Parrikar-led government.
Repeated threats by the taxi operators and resorting to strikes on “petty issues” angered Transport Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar and Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Nilesh Cabral who are not giving a second thought to introduce some competition in the business.
“If the strike is not called off by Saturday, the Transport Department shall invite leading taxi aggregator like Uber and Ola to operate to Goa,” Dhavalikar had said on Friday.
On the eve of the strike, Cabral had said, “We cannot bow down to everything and Goa’s image cannot be spoilt. I will personally be after the CM to start the Ola-Uber cabs-like transport system,” he had said.
But Parrikar on Saturday said, “I have not made any comment on app-based taxi you ask those who made statements,” a clear indication that the government has not reached a decision yet.
The crisis also exposed other differences within the government considering that Ministers Vijai Sardesai and Jayesh Salgaonkar were among those who made their presence at Azad Maidan, but did not address the crowd. Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo, flanked by Minister Vinod Palyekar, took to the dais requesting the taxi operators to withdraw the strike, but were booed by the crowd who found that they were not in favour of the taxi union.
On Saturday, Sardesai said that in principle he also believed there was sense in the demand of taxi union but, he added, the State government cannot do anything on the issue.
Whether or not the politicians urged the taxi operators to call off the strike, joining them has reportedly upset others in the government. Herald’s attempts to contact some ruling MLAs and ministers to comment on this aspect failed as they declined to comment.
