Taxi operators drive home their demand for resolving pending issues

VIBHA VERMA

vibha@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: A range of unresolved issues revolving around the tourist taxi operators could spell a doom for the BJP-led government, even as the unions ultimately want their demands to be met by any government in power. 

The mandatory fitment of digital fare taxi meters at the backdrop of demands to scrap app-based GoaMiles for, it deprived jobs to locals; time-to-time protests against government policies and open tussle between the tourist taxi drivers and GoaMiles among other taxi-connected matters have become a major election agenda. 

The taxi unions, by and large, are upset on the manner in which the BJP-government handled them over the years but wish that any party that forms the government next month are committed to resolving their issues. 

“I have been approached by some of these so called political parties. They have been promising…and (say) they would like to involve you (taxi operators) in the manifesto to benefit us. My question is that instead of highlighting in the manifesto, which is like issuing promissory note that everyone does, they should commit to resolve our long pending issues,” President of South Goa Tourist Taxi Association Vincent Carvalho said. 

The taxi operators want a concrete solution to their problems as they allege that issues crop up due to non-cooperation from the government and related authorities. “It is easy to defame a vulnerable sector like us that we charge exorbitant fare and oppose every policy of the government. But do successive governments realise the problems what we go through. If any of us is overcharging passengers, we should be brought to task but don’t make random claims only because you want to make way for non-Goan firms to operate in Goa,” Damodar Naik, another taxi operator in the northern coastal belt, alleged. 

Carvalho added that issues can be resolved provided there is no confusion into their pre-polls assurances after formation of the government. “Whoever comes to power have to sit down and resolve the issues. We want policies to be amended in favour of this local taxi business,” he added. 

The government had seen its cabinet ministers in loggerheads over some of the problems such as fitment of the digital meters and operations of GoaMiles. Ex-Minister in the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet, Michael Lobo and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho have often been in war of words over the issues While Lobo always defended the taxi operators irrespective of being in the ruling party, Godinho asked the former to concentrate on his portfolios. 

With the intervention of the High Court of Bombay at Goa, the taxi operators have begun fitting the digital meters. However, the reimbursement promise by the Transport Department remains unfulfilled so far. 

“We don’t want BJP. It has finished our business. We are affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the government wants to get outsiders to Goa even for election duty. Is this proper? BJP does not support small people/traders. They only know to take bribes for government jobs,” lamented the South Goa Tourist Taxi Association Vice President Jose Alphonso.  A taxi driver for over two decades, Alphonso shared his personal experience wherein he was asked to pay a bribe of Rs 13 lakh for a government job for his son, a qualified civil engineer. “Due to such problems there is migration of Goan talent and we have many surrendering the Indian Passport to avail benefits under Portuguese Citizenship,” he said.  

The taxi operator alleged many are facing similar situation.