Taxi owners urging the police to allow them to meet the Transport Director after they were stopped at the entrance of Junta House on Wednesday. Captured by : Manuel Vaz
OLD GOA
Taxi owners grilled the Director of Transport Rajan Satardekar over the imposition of the annual maintenance charges by the department on digital meters.
Later, a decision was taken that a delegation of the taxi owners along with the Transport officials would have a meeting with the Transport within the next 15 days to resolve all issues, failing which the taxi owners have warned that they would be forced to chalk out future course of action.
Earlier, the taxi owners gathered outside the Transport Department at Junta House on Wednesday, where they were stopped by the police who advised that a delegation of a few taxi owners would be allowed to meet the director.
Then, a delegation of taxi owners met Director Rajan Satardekar and questioned him over the imposition of Rs 4,654 as maintenance charges on digital meters.
“The digital meters were first thrust upon us and now the government wants to extract more money by imposing the maintenance fee,” a taxi owner Chetan Kamat opined.
He said this should have been conveyed to them when the digital meters were first installed.
Another taxi owner, Yogesh Govekar, sought to know why the transport department had stopped issuing permit renewal and fitness certificates for taxis which have not paid the maintenance fee.
The taxi owners also raised queries on the absence of a monitoring room, non-functioning of the panic button, disbursement of subsidy among other issues.
Replying to the queries, Satardekar said for the first year, there is one-time charge of around Rs 11,000.
“Then every year, there are renewal charges which include annual maintenance charges, data charges and taxes, which comes to Rs 4654,” he added.
On the reimbursement of subsidy, Satardekar said of the eligible, 2,282 applicants were disbursed the subsidy.
“We have disbursed subsidy to all the eligible applicants,” he said.
However, Satardekar said that as far as other issues are concerned it would have to be taken up with the transport minister.
Speaking to reporters after the meet, the taxi owners said that they will wait for 15 days as the transport director has assured them of a meeting with the transport minister to resolve the issues.
“If the meeting fails to materialise within 15 days, then we will be forced to chalk out future course of action,” the taxi owners warned.
Later, a decision was taken that a delegation of the taxi owners along with the Transport officials would have a meeting with the Transport within the next 15 days to resolve all issues, failing which the taxi owners have warned that they would be forced to chalk out future course of action.
Earlier, the taxi owners gathered outside the Transport Department at Junta House on Wednesday, where they were stopped by the police who advised that a delegation of a few taxi owners would be allowed to meet the director.
Then, a delegation of taxi owners met Director Rajan Satardekar and questioned him over the imposition of Rs 4,654 as maintenance charges on digital meters.
“The digital meters were first thrust upon us and now the government wants to extract more money by imposing the maintenance fee,” a taxi owner Chetan Kamat opined.
He said this should have been conveyed to them when the digital meters were first installed.
Another taxi owner, Yogesh Govekar, sought to know why the transport department had stopped issuing permit renewal and fitness certificates for taxis which have not paid the maintenance fee.
The taxi owners also raised queries on the absence of a monitoring room, non-functioning of the panic button, disbursement of subsidy among other issues.
Replying to the queries, Satardekar said for the first year, there is one-time charge of around Rs 11,000.
“Then every year, there are renewal charges which include annual maintenance charges, data charges and taxes, which comes to Rs 4654,” he added.
On the reimbursement of subsidy, Satardekar said of the eligible, 2,282 applicants were disbursed the subsidy.
“We have disbursed subsidy to all the eligible applicants,” he said.
However, Satardekar said that as far as other issues are concerned it would have to be taken up with the transport minister.
Speaking to reporters after the meet, the taxi owners said that they will wait for 15 days as the transport director has assured them of a meeting with the transport minister to resolve the issues.
“If the meeting fails to materialise within 15 days, then we will be forced to chalk out future course of action,” the taxi owners warned.
