PANJIM: The All Goa Taxi Owners Association (AGTOA) has demanded that the State government launches an inquiry into how taxi-aggregator Apna Bhada is operating in Goa without permissions.
AGTOA showed the present revised rules of the Central government, which they say contradict the claims of Apna Bhada, who have said they have an All India permit and thus do not require State government permission.
AGTOA said Apna Bhada needs State government permission and questioned why no action had been taken against them yet.
On another issue, AGTOA reiterated that the to-be-revised taxi fare rates should be incorporated in the digital meters, before they install them and they demanded that their representative be present for the State Transport Authority (STA) meeting, where a decision will be taken on how the rates will be revised.
They also said their queries regarding the meters should be clarified first. They continued to express their opposition to GoaMiles and said they’re ready to put the meters if the app-based taxi service is banned.
The Association, which had gone on a lengthy strike earlier this May, added that they would consider going back on their strike, once the curfew is lifted, if their demands are not met by that time.
They also questioned how the government, which is always forthcoming to take action or speak against them, is not reacting to the alleged irregularities of GoaMiles and Apna Bhada. They pointed out that State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho had already said that no permissions had been given.
