PANAJI:
Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho informed the Assembly that a total of 18,319 taxis in Goa are equipped with taxi meters.
He said the fees for these meters are collected directly by the vendors at the time of purchase, which means there are no additional collection charges for the government. The Minister was replying to a question from MLA Delilah Lobo.
The Minister said the total cost of taxi meter renewal is Rs 4,654, including 18% GST. This includes data fees of Rs 1,239, annual maintenance charges of Rs 1,694 and department charges of Rs 1,200. The amount is paid directly by the taxi owner to the vendor. Out of this total, the department charges are deposited into the government treasury by the vendor.
Godinho also addressed concerns about the monitoring of GPS tracking and emergency panic buttons in taxis. He confirmed that the government has set up a control room for this purpose at the Command Control Centre of Imagine Panaji Smart City Ltd (IPSCDL) located at Altinho, Panaji. The centre oversees the GPS tracking and emergency response systems to ensure safety and efficiency in taxi operations.
