Team Herald
PANJIM: All Goa Taxi Owners Association has condemned the plans of the government to roll out an App for taxis in the State. The taxi owners have warned the Government of a statewide agitation if the Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho does not cease to promote app-based taxis in Goa.
The taxi owners in an emphatic expression warned that the Dabolim airport is surely going to close down, thus bringing an end to business of several dependents.
More than 100 taxi owners gathered at the Azad Maidan on Thursday to oppose the move of the Transport Minister and the Government to push app-based taxis across Goa. Leaders of the Association, Chetan Kamat, Yogesh Govekar, Rohidas Naik, Sanjay Korde and others were among those present at the protest.
In a retort for reinstalling the GoaMiles counter at the Dabolim Airport, Kamat said “The Minister says app is compulsory. You have forced meters on taxi owners, no subsidy has been received yet, you removed the counter of GoaMiles at the airport for votes but now the counter is back.”
Kamat has urged Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte to study the matter before taking any steps. He has called on taxi owners from Pernem to come out in large numbers and join their movement against the app-based taxis while warning them that the app-based taxis at the new airport in Mopa too will also finish their business.
Warning of a statewide agitation against the government’s push for a taxi app, Govekar said, “If the Government doesn’t roll back its plans to give the taxi business to app operators we will hold the biggest agitation in Goa and Government will be responsible if there is a law and order situation.”
Reiterating that the taxi owners will oppose the taxi app, Rohidas Naik said, “He called us mafia, we are not mafia. He plans to get the app through GEL, we will not join that app.”
A taxi owner from Mandrem, Sanjay Korde, questioned the silence of the Pernem and Mandrem MLAs. “Both Pernem and Mandrem MLAs are silent. Why don’t they speak on the taxi issue now?” he questioned.
The taxi owners have collectively condemned the police manhandling of Valancio Rodrigues who tried to reportedly expose the misdeeds of GoaMiles.
A yellow and black taxi owner, Sunil Naik warned that the Dabolim Airport is surely going to close. “I urge the 350 taximen dependent on the Dabolim Airport to wake up. You are bound to starve and at the end the Minister is prepared to blame the taximen for that,” he stated.
