PERNEM
The taxi counter began abruptly for local taxi operators at Mopa Airport on Tuesday morning and then suddenly stopped operating within an hour of its inauguration.
The incident even took the taxi operators in Pernem by surprise and members of the taxi association along with their leader Sudip Tamhankar and Rupesh Krumralkar, Raju Narse met up with the Pernem Road Transport Officer Kamalakant Karapurkar to inquire about the incident.
Karapurkar explained that the counter was not opened officially, but he was called by the Panchayat and Mopa International Airport officials to open the counter. Karapurkar explained to the taxi operators that the spot where it was opened has not been notified yet.
Speaking to reporters, Tamhankar said the entire exercise of opening the counter and then closing in suddenly was a mystery.
“The counter was inaugurated and closed soon after the photos of its inauguration went viral. The traffic officers did not have any intimation from the government regarding opening of the counter. The traffic officer went there because he was called by the company,” said Tamhankar.
“The blue taxi counter process is underway and it will be notified soon. Once it is notified, the taxi operators in Pernem will get their taxi counter. There are three taxi associations in Pernem and all three should be taken into confidence while allotting them the taxi counter, and no injustice should be done towards the taxi operators.”
Tamhankar also informed that a petition he has filed in the court would be heard on Wednesday.
