VASCO
At a time when flights have increased at Dabolim Airport and domestic tourism is on the rise after months of lockdown restrictions, clashes have erupted yet again between GoaMiles operators and other tourist taxi operators.
While both groups have alleged that their drivers had been attacked by the rival group, local taxi operators have sought government intervention and attention from Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho.
Clashes broke out at the Dabolim airport after some operators of GoaMiles on Wednesday afternoon started confronting tourist taxi operators arriving at the airport and demanding to check for their taxi badges.
Operators of GoaMiles alleged that some North Goa tourist taxi operators would regularly harass GoaMiles operators when they would go to places like Calangute and Anjuna.
"One of our drivers was beaten up on Tuesday while he had gone to Anjuna. The North Goa Taxi Associations harass us, abuse and assault our drivers, and threaten us with dire consequences when we go to the North,” said a GoaMiles taxi operator.
“We have also filed a complaint at the Anjuna and Calangute police stations. If they stop us from coming to the North, why should we allow them to come to the Airport? This harassment has become a daily affair," the GoaMiles taxi operator added.
Added another GoaMiles operator: “Every time GoaMiles taxis go to the North, some tourist taxi operators enquire if the taxi is from GoaMiles. If the driver confirms it, he is beaten up and threatened.”
As the situation escalated between the two taxi groups, police rushed to Dabolim airport and tried to control the situation.
The police advised GoaMiles operators not to stop tourist taxis cars and the situation was under control.
However, the tourist taxi operators who were blocked at the airport informed their unions about the incident.
In the evening, tourist taxi union leaders and other members decided to go to Dabolim Airport and confront the GoaMiles operators, after alleging that a tourist taxi driver was beaten up by the GoaMiles operators at the Airport.
Anticipating a major law and order problem, Mormugao DySP Raju Raut Desai got the entire area around Dabolim Airport barricaded and also beefed up police presence at the site.
As the tourist taxi leaders and their members arrived at Dabolim airport, they were stopped way before the airport.
DySP Raju Raut Desai persuaded them not to take law into their hands and suggested they could file a police complaint regarding their grievances. The tourist taxi unions later went to the Vasco police station.
