Taxi owners oppose hike in special package fees
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JULY 4
Members of the FATTOD (Federation of Association of Tourist Taxi Owners and Drivers) on Sunday chalked out the future course of action on the proposed hike in permit fees by the State and on GTDC decision to use theirs A/C taxi for the “Honeymoon Special Package”.
FATTOD President Jeorge Fernandes said that it is not just foreign tour operators and illegal touts who are giving hard time to taxi operators along the coast but even government decision on honeymoon package may cost the coastal belt citizen. “Government run corporation like KTC few years back took away the livelihood of private bus operators by taking away the main bus route linking to Panjim city with high hopes of getting revenue to government coffers. Today the financial static of KTC shows huge losses at the cost of tax payers,” he said.
Fernandes said the GTDC managing director has said that foreign tourists have been kept out of this package as foreigners usually explore the State on their own. “The members concluded that the government bodies do not want to hurt the sentiment of the mighty tour operators who at present take the major share of foreign tourism revenue,” he added.
Fr Maverick Fernandes spoke about the purpose of creation of the Centre for Responsible Tourism. He said the Centre was mainly concerned about creating tourism based on justice and ethics and asked all members to remain united to accomplish the mission.
Jeorge claimed that though diesel/petrol and all commodity prices have shot up, few private tour operators still complain on rates which were never hiked since the start of tourist taxi. “Our tourist taxi rates are directly associated to tourists visiting Goa, but the Lamanis and Kasmiris are left free to loot tourist, while our own Government is out to compete us with hike in taxes and permit fees,” he added.
South Goa FATTOD Vice-President Alerio Fernandes said if the GTDC plans to support the Tourist Taxi operators with the proposed Honeymoon package then the operators should be taken into consideration and decide on such packages. Other spoke were Jose Fernandes and Nativide from the Mobor Taxi union.
