The decision of tourist taxis to move the High Court in a bid to stall the installation of digital meters as mandated by the Court earlier is yet another desperate attempt to break free from controls. Close on the heels of the government's announcement that permits of those refusing to fix meters will be cancelled, the Association of Tourist Taxi Owners sought the help of All Goa Private Bus Owners Association in taking the matter to the High Court.
It is bizarre that the taximen are taking this route against the backdrop of the Court’s rap on the State government for failure to install the meters. It was only in May this year that the High Court had reminded the government that directives have not been complied with "for one reason or the other". On May 8 the court had sought compliance within 15 days.
Ironically, one of the points in the current petition is that the amendment to the Goa Motor Vehicles Act making meters mandatory dates back to 2015 and that various types of meters are available now. The obvious ploy was to delay the implementation. The much-hyped financial burden was nowhere in the argument, making it amply clear that the problem is about fitting meters and not the cost.
Secondly, while the government has been consistently meditating, the point of contention was never on the type of meter. The single point agenda was to bring down GoaMiles. If we may recall various offers of helping out with a parallel app managed by the taxis themselves have been turned down on a pre-condition of scrapping GoaMiles.
On the flip side, the consistent reluctance by the transport department to execute court orders, and the offer of unreasonable concessions has only allowed the issue to fester. Despite a long delay, it is only last week that Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho extended an additional 15 days for the tourist taxis to install meters, even against the backdrop of defiance.
The government is already in contempt of court with successive deadlines breached since 2019. Now since elections are around the corner, it has pushed itself in a difficult position with senior members of the cabinet alienating themselves and openly taking up for the taxi lobby.
While the government is providing reimbursement of the cost of the digital meter with printer and global positioning system in a scheme that covers a major portion of the cost, Cabinet minister and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, a strong proponent of the taxi owners, is demanding free meters. Against the government's stand on GoaMiles, Lobo is assuring that once meters are installed, GoaMiles should not be allowed to pick up passengers from North Goa. Probably, another politician will raise a similar pitch from the South.
Understandably political players and parties are not in a position to antagonize the taxi lobby, and they know for a fact that rooting for GoaMiles will not give them the mileage. The large taxi sector, which forms a sizeable vote bank could still find itself in the driver's seat given the ground situation.
