Team Herald
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the taxi issue has had an impact on tourism as tourists visiting Goa have no other grievance than the taxi system in the State.
He, however, assured that a meeting with all concerned MLAs will be called shortly to sort out the issue. “We will consider the views of each and everybody before finalizing the rent a car issue,” he said.
Earlier Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Michael Lobo on Tueday alleged that Rs 25000 has been collected from vehicle owners of rent a car services to legalize their services and asked for an investigation as to where the money is going.
Lobo asked how a file on rent a car had been opened by the government instead of settling the issue of the tourist taxi operators.
The question was raised in the assembly by GVP MLA Caetano Silva who alleged that the name of taxi operators has been tarnished by false reports from tour and travel agents in Goa.
BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral and Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai pointed out that a private company called ‘Push Tours and Travels’ based in Margao has taken 136 rent a car licenses and is now trying to sublet the licenses. Legislators have demanded that all the licences to this company be revoked.
Transport minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar said that if the department finds any illegality then the licenses will be cancelled. He, however, said that licenses granted following the Central Motor Vehicle Act cannot be cancelled.
Taxi operators have been opposing licences to rent a car services stating that their taxi business will be hampered.
