Team Herald
VASCO: Hundreds of passengers arriving at Dabolim Airport had to suffer due to ongoing tussle between the airport taxi union and drivers over the white uniform issue. The tussle resulted in chaos as not enough prepaid taxis were available at the Dabolim airport, leaving the passengers getting delayed to reach their destinations on Thursday.
Few weeks ago, the tourist taxi union of Dabolim airport discussed the issue of maintaining discipline at the airport and decided to change uniform code from khaki to white for all the drivers operating from yellow-black prepaid taxi counter of Dabolim airport. It was also decided to implement the rule from June 1 2017.
On Thursday, all those drivers who were not wearing the white uniform were prevented to take part in the queue system followed to get business from the taxi counter. This led to sudden artificial taxi crisis at the airport as around 100 taxi drivers refrained from taking part in the business through the prepaid taxi counters. As a result hundreds of Passengers coming down to the airport had to wait for long time to hire pre-paid taxi from the airport.
“Today passengers are suffering only because of the white dress code decision taken by the taxi union. At 6 am we were present for providing taxi services however around 100-odds taxis prevented from taking passengers as we were not wearing white uniform, while all the owners who were wearing khakis and even civil uniform were allowed to take passengers from airport, this is injustice and partiality. Also the union gave only five days advance notice for white uniform code and it takes time to stitch the uniform. We are not ready to wear white and would continue to wear khaki, as maintaining white uniform is difficult especially during rainy season,” said a taxi driver.
Refuting the allegations, some of the taxi owners who are member of the airport taxi union said, “there is no discrimination as everyone who sits on the driver seat has to compulsorily wear white; no matter he is driver or owner of taxi. By introducing white uniform we want to bring some discipline at the airport. This will also make us easy to identify outside drivers from airport taxi driver. I am sure this issue will be settled as the owners themselves have voluntarily decided for change in dress code from Thursday,” said a member of airport taxi union.
