PANAJI
President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) Jack Sukhija dismissed the changes as superficial. “It is just a revised model that includes incentives. That’s all,” he said.
Sukhija also pointed to an alternative platform being developed at the national level and that TTAG has been in talks with its promoters.
“As per the vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Open Network for Digital Commerce has developed a driver-customer friendly, subscription-based app called Yatri. We are given to understand that a proposal has been made by them to the government,” he said.
“If the government is serious about addressing the issue, then it should at least allow Yatri to operate with full protection,” Sukhija added, indicating that the government needs to open the ecosystem to credible digital alternatives rather than pushing a State-run monopoly.
Echoing concerns over implementation, Immediate Past President of TTAG Nilesh Shah said while incentives are a step in the right direction, they will mean little without political will and strict enforcement.
“The government has made a good decision of offering incentives but it has to be firm in implementing the decision. Politicians should not politicise the issue. Everything becomes politics when it comes to transport services in Goa,” Shah said.
He also warned that the State’s hesitation in regulating the sector is already impacting tourism. “It’s high time that the government is firm on its decision to implement app-based taxi services in Goa. Tourists are looking for inclusive packages and transport is a major part of that. Currently, it is in a poor state,” he said adding, “Visitors are avoiding Goa. They don’t step out of their hotels because they fear being harassed by taxi operators. There is a noticeable drop in shopping, restaurant visits, and overall spending. It’s hitting the entire hospitality economy.”
He urged the government not to backtrack under pressure. “Politics should not dictate this decision. Goa’s tourism economy cannot be held hostage by vested interests,” he opined.
