Team Herald
VASCO: The Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) had supported the government’s move to introduce app-based taxi services in the State.
GSIA President Damodar Kochkar said that the Association is of the opinion that introduction of app-based taxi service aggregators was the only solution to end the woes of the travelling public. “We understand that the government has given a subsidy of Rs 11,000 per taxi to install digital meters and the taxi operators have kept these meters non-functional. We urge the government not to succumb to the pressure tactics of the taxi unions and instead adopt a long-term solution to have seamless and convenient mode of travel,” Kochkar said in a press release.
According to Kochkar, it is a known fact that the taxi operators in the absence of digital meters and monitoring of taxi fares are fleecing the tourists as well as the locals by overcharging with arbitrary fares. This has brought a bad name to Goa, at national and international level, as a preferred tourist destination. Goa lacks reliable public transport and, therefore, there is an urgent need for some affordable transport service if the government wants to promote tourism,” he said,
Kochkar further said that the Association has experienced that whenever a client or supplier of the industry visits Goa, he complains of being overcharged by the taxi operators. Also if their client/supplier stays in some hotel, the industry representative is not allowed to go and pick him up by the taxi operators. This cannot happen in any democratic country where people should have the right to choose their own mode of transport. However, the industry will definitely support if the taxi operators in Goa launch their own app-based taxi aggregator, he said.
