MARGAO: Taxi owners from South Goa are anxious over the comments made by Dabolim MLA and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho over the possibility of Dabolim International Airport shutting down once the Mopa Airport is fully functional.
While the government has repeatedly maintained that both airports would exist simultaneously and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also gave that reassurance on Thursday evening, taxi drivers also point to the fact that the concept of two airports has not worked in several other Indian States, and one of the two airports had to shut down eventually due to low footfalls.
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“We have been asking these questions ever since the plans for the Mopa airport began. There were protests back then. We need to be told clearly if there is a possibility that Dabolim airport will shut down in the future,” said Chaitanya Nagvenkar, a taxi owner from Mormugao.
“If Dabolim airport closes, guests will prefer staying up north, and the South Goa tourism business- not just taxis, but hotels, shacks, tours etc, will all slow down, putting our livelihoods at stake,” added Robert Fernandes, a taxi driver from Varca.
