PANAJI
Even as flights landed and took off smoothly, teething problems at the new Manohar International Airport got bared on day one of the commercial operations as the arriving passengers were seen struggling to hook on to onward transportation with connectivity and other issues with the Goa Taxi App.
As expected the taxi and other transport services from the airport, including the EV-bus service announced by the State-owned Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC), essential for arriving passengers to travel onward were in disarray.
Several passengers were seen struggling with issues of the airport's internet connectivity, which is the only medium available to engage a taxi.
The EV-bus service of the KTC was also struggling to find its feet and was nowhere to be seen in the vicinity of the airport for at least three hours from the arrival of the first Indigo flight from Hyderabad.
The State government which had recently launched the Goa Taxi App after failing to cut ice with the State's taxi operator community as well as their representative associations has now agreed to set up a pre-paid taxi counter at the airport's terminal building.
On Thursday, the Transport Department invited applications from interested individuals from Pernem taluka to join the prepaid 'blue airport taxi' with a notified stand through a public notice on media platforms.
The notice said, the Mopa airport taxis will be of blue colour with terms and conditions identical to the yellow-black taxis operating from the existing airport at Dabolim.
The move prompted agitating taxi operators from Pernem to withdraw their ongoing protest, after a written assurance from the State administration that prior commitments made to them will be honoured.
“Commitment made in meeting at Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) by government will be honoured with priority for project affected persons in consultation with stakeholders. Blue Cab prepaid taxi service counter at new airport will be with identical terms including fare rate of black and yellow taxis,” the letter with the assurance issued to the Pernem taxi operators by the Transport Director said.
The Pernem taxi operators had been on a protest demanding a yellow-black taxi stand at the new airport exclusively for Pernem operators.
