MAPUSA
The All Goa Taxi Owners Association has expressed strong disapproval of the Konkan Railway Corporation’s (KRC) decision to enter the bike and car rental market, labelling it as a severe blow to the local tourist taxi industry.
The association claims that this move is another tactic by the government to undermine a business that has traditionally been the domain of Goan locals.
President of the All Goa Taxi Owners Association, Vassudev Arlekar voiced concerns of many taxi operators, stating that the new initiative by KRC could devastate the livelihoods of local taxi operators.
“The tourist taxi operators run by the locals are already struggling to make ends meet and are burdened with hefty bank loans. Introducing another player in the rental market will only worsen our situation. How will our families survive?” Arlekar questioned.
The association highlighted that the local tourist taxi business is one of the few enterprises still managed by Goans.
“This new venture by KRC threatens to be the final nail in the coffin for our industry,” he added, stressing that the government appears determined to push the taxi business into the hands of non-locals through various schemes, including app-based taxi services and now rental services by KRC.
Vice President of the North Goa Taxi Owners Association, Ravindra Vengurlekar echoed similar sentiments.
He pointed out the financial hardships faced by locals involved in rent-a-car and rent-a-cab operations, especially during the off-peak tourist season.
“We pay high fees and insurance premiums, while private car owners, who are increasingly renting out their vehicles, only pay a fraction of the insurance cost. This disparity is grossly unfair,” Vengurlekar argued.
The association is calling for government intervention to halt KRC’s plans to protect the interests of local taxi operators.
“The government should step in and prevent KRC from launching its bike and car rental services,” Vengurlekar emphasised.
KRC had recently announced its intentions to diversify into the bike and car rental market, in addition to launching pod hotels, to cater to the increasing number of tourists visiting Goa. KRC Chairman Santosh Kumar Jha revealed that the corporation has already issued an e-tender inviting bids from potential operators to manage these rental services from the Margao railway station.
The All Goa Taxi Owners Association sees this move as part of a broader strategy to edge out local taxi operators in favour of larger, possibly non-local enterprises.
They argue that such initiatives will have detrimental effects on the local economy and the traditional livelihood of many Goan families.
