Team Herald

MARGAO: A massive protest erupted outside the Colva police station on Friday afternoon as taxi operators from across Goa, along with Sarpanchas and panch members from Benaulim villages, demanded action against an individual accused of making false allegations against the taxi driver community. The controversy arose from a viral video created by Parag Raikar, a private taxi aggregator service operator, who accused local taxi drivers of malpractices. Infuriated, hundreds of taxi drivers assembled at the Colva Police Station, urging the police to take action to prevent potential law and order issues.

Local leaders, including Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz and Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Pereira, alleged a double standard in the police’s handling of complaints. They noted that while officers quickly file offences against local taxi drivers when approached by aggregators like GoaMiles, they seem reluctant to address complaints made by local drivers against personnel from these aggregator services. The protesters pointed out that the video’s creator was not associated with GoaMiles but runs his own private taxi aggregator company.

The taxi operators and Sarpanchas accused the video creator of deliberately inciting community tensions and called for police intervention. They clarified that their permits were based on letters from nearby hotels and questioned the legality of parking practices by taxis associated with private aggregator services.

The group firmly defended their conduct, denying any issues related to drunken driving and claiming they were committed to passenger safety. They countered by alleging that drivers of aggregator vehicles and rent-a-cabs were more frequently involved in accidents and tourist-related disputes. They expressed their frustration with being labelled as a ‘taxi mafia’, insisting on a fair resolution to the situation.

The protest continued for an extended period, even through heavy rain, as the taxi operators demanded that the police register an FIR against Parag Raikar, the video creator. While the police initially stated they needed to study the matter, the taxi drivers provided legal arguments for why a case should be registered. In the evening, the police finally indicated their willingness to register an FIR, and the protestors demanded that it be a non-bailable FIR.

The protestors received support from North Goa taxi leaders, who defended Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, asserting that he was legally correct in advocating for the rights of local taxi drivers in Goa.

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