PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said the Goa government has already asked taxi operators to submit their suggestions on the proposed Digital Taxi Policy and stressed that the government intends to resolve the long-running dispute while ensuring safety, security and transparency for both operators and tourists.
Responding to the latest standoff with taxi unions, Sawant told reporters that the government does not want to create confusion over the policy and will finalise it only after consultations with these stakeholders.
“Our intentions are clear... We want safety, security and transparency... Once the Digital Taxi Policy is brought into force, the existing draft Transport Aggregator Guidelines will automatically be scrapped,” he further reiterated.
His remarks came after taxi operators boycotted a meeting convened by the Directorate of Transport to discuss the proposed policy on Monday. They demanded an apology from Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho over remarks he made in the Legislative Assembly, where he said taxi operators had nearly come to blows during a meeting with Sawant on March 5.
Taxi leaders rejected the claim as “false and unacceptable” and said they would participate in discussions only if they received a formal invitation from the government.
They also alleged that the government was delaying decisions as the assembly elections are approaching and accused authorities of favouring the app-based taxi service GoaMiles, a charge the government has repeatedly denied.
