Team Herald
PONDA: Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has been condemned for announcing that his department would issue 800 new taxi permits.
The condemnation comes from Ponda Tourist Taxi Association which strongly objects to issuing more taxi permits.
Addressing a press conference here, Association President Baban Sawant said, “Before making the announcement on issuing 800 new taxi permits, the government should have discussed the issue with the taxi associations. We are already facing shortage of customers and the chief minister had promised the taxi associations that no new permits would be issued. So, what made the government to break its promise?”
Claiming that two months ago, the chief minister had promised the Tourist Taxi Association that he would freeze taxi permits in near future, Sawant, who is also the vice-president of All Goa Tourist Taxi Association, asked, “How then the transport minister is announcing to issue more taxi permits without even discussing the issue with the stakeholder Taxi Associations?”
“Before making the announcement, the government should have conducted feasibility study. Therefore, we, the members of Taxi Association and Yellow Black taxis, will launch agitation against the government’s decision to issue more taxi permits,” he warned.
Claiming that the Tour Travel Agency (TTA) has no role on issuance of new taxi permits, he said, “TTA and the government should check whether the hotels are running their business legally.”
Sawant also claimed that many private taxis are operating in Goa which are eating into their business. Therefore, he demanded that RTO take action against such private taxis.
Yellow Black Taxi Association President Sunil Naik also strongly opposed to government decision to issue permits to new tourist taxis.
He also said that the existing taxis are facing shortage of customers and new permits would only add to their woes.
