Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao addressing a meeting of tourist taxi operators.
MARGAO: Ahead of the 2022 Assembly election, the tourist taxi issue has taken centre stage along Salcete coastal belt, with local MLA Churchill Alemao not only demanding scrapping of GoaMiles taxi aggregator, but sent a message loud and clear to the hotels that they may as well pack their bags if they do not cooperate with the tourist taxi operators to earn their livelihood.
Churchill said the government should immediately implement the 15-year domicile to make a person apply for taxi badge, saying the domicile clause will keep a track of persons inimical to India, such as Pakistan, from obtaining a taxi badge.
The Benaulim MLA, who represents the Salcete’s coastal belt, right from Cavelossim to Colva, in the Goa Legislative Assembly, has convened a joint meeting of the representatives of the tourist taxi operators with the Hotel owners or managers, Tourism Director etc at Varca on September 20 to address the issues facing the tourist taxi operators. Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar has also been invited for the meeting.“My one and only demand is to scrap the Goa Miles taxi service. And, if the hotels that have set up shop along the coastal belt are not cooperating with the tourist taxi operators by providing them a counter, it’s better they shut down shop. For whom is this tourism if it does not benefit the local youth who eke a livelihood on the tourist taxi business”, he questioned.
The Benaulim MLA had a meeting with the tourist taxi operators at Cavelossim on Friday in the presence of police and other authorities to discuss complaints that Goa Miles taxis are eating into the business of the local tourist taxi operators. “I want to make clear to the hotel owners and their managers that the hotel industry had come up by promising benefits to the local populace. The local youth ventured into the tourist taxi business and started operating into the hotel in their neighbourhood. Many of these hotels later came out with the tariff for the tourist taxis and the operators implemented the tariffs without any problem”, Churchill said.
Churchill denied that he has taken up the tourist taxi issue with an eye on the 2022 election, saying that he had always taken up cudgels for the beleaguered tourist taxi operators. “One should know that the hotels had come up along the coast after they promised the local populace that they too will benefit from the industry. Accordingly, hundreds of youth from the coastal belt went for the tourist taxi business with bank loans. How can you now displace the local youth eking a livelihood on the business by promoting Goa Miles. We will never allow any such taxi aggregator to take away the taxi business at the cost of the local tourist taxi operators”, he warned.
