CALANGUTE: The North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association members helped the Calangute Special Traffic Squad to confiscate two private vehicles belonging to a reputed Calangute hotel owner for illegally using them as taxis.
The two private vehicles were seized since they had yellow number plates like tourist taxis, but the drivers were unable to provide the supporting documents. Though the two vehicles were seized following intervention of the NGTTOA members, two other private cars with yellow number plates made good their escape.
NGTTOA General Secretary Vinayak Nanoskar said, “Through our letter dated April 2, we had brought it to the notice of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and the Director of Transport, Panjim, about the illegal taxi trade by two the hotels — Calangute Towers and North 16 Resort at Calangute, whose guests were ferried through private vehicles. Surprisingly, we recently noticed the Hotel Calangute Towers’ private vehicles had yellow number plates similar to taxis. We immediately notified the Special Traffic Squad who arrived at the site and seized the private vehicle with yellow number plates. The driver failed to produce documents” to prove that the vehicles, in fact, were taxis.
“We strongly condemn such unfair taxi trade by hotels owners and resorts in Calangute and elsewhere favouring the non-Goans who are either employed or are owners of the private vehicles. The management of the hotels and resorts should refrain from indulging in such unfair trade at the expense of Goans. We urge the Government and Department of Transport to severely punish the management of the hotels and resorts carrying out such illegal taxi trade,” Nanoskar said.
