VASCO
From setting up a corporation to free medical treatment during accidents, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday promised several benefits to taxi and rickshaw operators in the State, if the AAP was elected to power in the upcoming assembly elections.
Addressing a news conference at Rashtroli Santoshi Mata temple in New Vadem in the presence of AAP State Convenor Rahul Mhambre, Dabolim leader Premanand Nanoskar and others, Kejriwal announced that a corporation would be set up for taxi and auto-rickshaw operators and even assured to challenge the High Court verdict on digital meters in Supreme Court.
Kejriwal said the government would pay all medical expenses if any taxi operator were to meet with an accident, while also assuring to make RTO a faceless service for taxi operators in Goa if the AAP came to power.
“I am here to establish a relationship with taxi operators, who are victims of the system set up by corrupt politicians. I have been told that taxi operators were not taken to confidence while making policies.”
“We will set up a corporation with a maximum of taxi and auto-rickshaw operators as members and around two officers. The taxi operators will run this corporation and they will formulate the taxi operators policy instead of politicians and bureaucrats.
This committee will decide the tariff and whether there is a need for an app,” said Kejriwal.
Commenting on the digital meters, Kejriwal said he had been informed of a recent order by the HC on the installation of digital meters. “The order has gone against the taxi operators because the government did not take their side. We have a reputed Goan advocate in our party who has taken the responsibility to challenge the court order in the Supreme Court. By next week, we will also give the Goan taxi operators a very reputed Supreme Court advocate for this case,” said Kejriwal.
Kejriwal also assured taxi operators of all his support and requested them not to fall prey to any statement likely to be issued by the BJP and Congress after the assurances made by AAP.
“We have around 25,000 taxi operators in the State and if they stay united, every government formed in Goa will be that of the taxi operators. It is now the time of the taxi operators to unitedly give AAP a chance to form the government. Taxi operators can also convince passengers to vote for AAP and convince two other families to vote for AAP,” said Kejriwal.
