Team Herald
MAPUSA: Tourism in the coastal belt of Pernem and Bardez was affected after the tourist taxi operators went off the road in protest demanding scrapping of the GoaMiles App.
From past several years, the local taxi operators in the State are agitating and demanding with the State government to scrap the GoaMiles App. However, other than oral assurance, the local taxi operators have not received any solution for their problem. The decision of going off the road badly affected the domestic tourists, who are presently in the State and who entered into the State and wanted to reach their destinations.
The tourists, especially domestic, who are presently in the State had to suffer since there were no taxis to provide service to them resulting they had to wait for private bus transportation to reach their destination. The tourists who checked out and returned back to their States also had to face the difficulty in getting transportation which forced them to wait for hours for bus service.
Tourists were seen stranded in different parts of the Bardez and Pernem coastal belt.
“The government should resolve the issue of local taxi operators. Because of this, the tourists are suffering and if this continues then it’s going to affect the tourism industry in the State,” a tourist said.
The Bardez coastal belt, especially the famous Baga-Calangute Beach, had a deserted look after the local taxi service remained unoperational on Thursday. The busy streets of Baga and Calangute had a deserted look.
