Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho stated that app-based taxis are necessary for Dabolim Airport to compete with Mopa Airport. He added that he is concerned that Dabolim Airport may shut down if people are not provided with a choice between app-based and pre-paid taxis and their failure to adapt to the latest technology.
Mauvin had earlier cited the need to comply with court directions to provide multi-modal options to passengers from airports. Mauvin has been assured by Goa Miles that 100 of the 350 Goa Miles taxis will be converted to electric vehicles.
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Godinho on Wednesday morning also convened a joint meeting and site inspection with Yellow-black taxi operators at Goa Airport along with the Transport department and Airport Authority
” I had arrived to personally check how counters operate and I have now convinced the taxi operators that digital platform is the future and new technology has to be adopted. App-based taxis will have to be launched today or tomorrow and we don’t want Dabolim Airport to suffer because Mopa Airport which is a private airport will offer all the latest services to passengers and we cannot have only prepaid service here at Dabolim Airport. The taxi operators have been convinced but they have a demand that the Goa Miles counter and Yellow-black taxi counter must not be next to each other because it could lead to fights for business and we have agreed on the condition. We have now assured to give the Goa miles a counter a little away from the Yellow Black taxi counter and in addition, we will give another additional counter to Yellow-black taxi operators. This is a meeting of minds to solve an issue that needs to be taken for survival. I have also directed the police staff to ensure that there are no touting incidents at the airport so that the taxi operators at Dabolim don’t suffer and I will personally monitor the situation to address the fears of the Yellow-black taxi operators. I don’t want a tagline that Dabolim means chaos and I will put all the things in order ” said Godinho.
” We have also told the Yellow-black taxi operators that they can join the Goa Miles app and when they take one passenger from here at Goa Airport, they can open the Goa Miles app and get another passenger on their return. We will open the Goa Miles counter in the next two days and we will be ready to rise on the occasion to keep the importance of Dabolim Airport which is one of the best airports in the country. The Goa miles has assured to even convert existing taxis to Electric vehicles at no additional cost and we are not here to trouble antibody but to ensure that all facilities are available at the airport and the taxi operators get good business ” said Godinho.
Meanwhile, Yellow-black taxi operator leader Prasad Prabhugaonkar said that the yellow-black taxi operators would not join the Goa Miles app and continue their traditional business from the counter established in 1985
” We have around 350 taxi operators and we are planning to make our own app and function under the app from Goa Airport. We had an issue that our Counter and Goa miles counter must not be side by side and the minister has assured to agree to this demand” said Prabhugaonkar.
