PANAJI: Satisfied with the written assurance of Deputy Speaker and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, the North and South Goa Taxi Owners’ Associations withdrew their indefinite strike on Sunday evening after protesting for three consecutive days at Azad Maidan.
A delegation comprising around 10 core committee members of the two unions led by Lobo met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar at his official residence at Altinho on Sunday afternoon.
During the hour-long discussion that ensued, the state government agreed to offer temporary relief to the protesting taxi owners. Accordingly, taxi owners will now be issued fitness certificates, which were withheld pending the installation of speed governors, from January 24.
The Calangute MLA was asked to submit in writing his verbal assurances after he declared that he will step down from office if the government failed to fulfill its promise on grant of fitness certificates.
Lobo informed the protestors that temporary relief has been provided as per the directions of Union ministry exempting installation of speed governors owing to unavailability and scarcity of the machines across the country as well as due to the unavailability of installation and maintenance stations and garages in many states.
In addition to this, it was announced that the state government will now explore the possibility of filing an intervention petition before the Supreme Court in connection with the petition filed against installation of speed governors by Suraksha Foundation filed on November 13, 2017.
Lobo sought to reiterate that the Union Ministry of Transport had issued this notification after a Supreme Court committee recommended that speed governors be installed on trucks, buses and commercial vehicles. Another notification following that mandated the installation of speed governors in tourist taxis.
“CM has assured that Advocate General will be asked to submit an intervention on behalf of the state government seeking exemption of All India permit-holding taxis. We will also speak to Union Ministry of Transport. Our case will be very strong because we are a very small state with narrow roads. There is no possibility of exceeding the speed limit,” Lobo said.
In addition to this, it was announced that a transport committee including taxi owners’ representatives will meet on January 28 to discuss other issues such as insurance and subsidies.
Announcing the withdrawal of the strike, North Goa Taxi Owners’ Association leader Laxman “Bappa” Korgaonkar said, “We withdraw the strike upon the written assurances of Michael Lobo and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. But if the assurance of granting fitness certificate isn’t fulfilled by Wednesday, we will resume the revolution. I still don’t have faith in the CM, who made 20,000 families suffer for three days.”
Korgaokar launched severe criticism on Goa Tourism Development Corporation chairperson Nilesh Cabral and Transport Minister Ramakrishna “Sudin” Dhavalikar for their threat of inviting Ola and Uber into Goa and declared, “You invite Ola-Uber into this state and we will see how they dare to function.”
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Will resume strike
if govt fails on its
words: Taxi owners
* Announcing the withdrawal of the strike, North Goa Taxi Owners’ Association leader Laxman “Bappa” Korgaonkar said they withdrew the strike upon written assurances from the govt
* If the assurance of granting fitness certificate isn’t fulfilled by Wednesday, we will resume the revolution. I still don’t have faith in the CM, said the leader of taxi owners association
