PANAJI
The State government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1988 in view of the upcoming state-wide strike declared by the tourist taxi operators on January 19.
In an order issued by the Home Department on Thursday, additional Home Secretary Narayan Sawant has declared that the state government is satisfied that in public interest, it is necessary to prohibit with immediate effect strike in any form in all transport services for the carriage of passengers or goods by land or water.
The departments of transport and tourism announced that they will work in tandem with of Goa Police and Kadamba Transport Corporation to ensure that the tourists vising the state remain unaffected by the tourist taxi strike.
However, while appealing to the tourist taxi operators to withdraw the strike and to agree to resolution of issues through discussion on one hand, Goa Tourism Development Corporation chairperson Nilesh Cabral also threatened to launch “hard action” by exploring the possibility of developing an “Ola-Uber type application” if the tourist taxi operators continue to hold the state’s tourism sector to ransom
Speaking at Panaji, Cabral stated that an indefinite strike by the tourist taxi operators will force the GTDC to explore the possibility of developing app-based taxi services under the auspices of GTDC.
“This cannot go on. Small, petty issues like installation of speed governor and meters can’t spoil Goa’s name as a tourist destination. If they resort to an indefinite strike, we will take hard action. I will personally take up the matter with Chief Minister and explore the possibility of developing an Ola-Uber like application under GTDC,” Cabral said.
Cabral informed that the state law enforcement agencies and transport regulatory mechanisms will work closely with the tourism department from 7 am till 10 pm to ensure that no tourist suffers while on a trip to Goa.
Flanked by KTC chairman Jose Luis Carlos Almeida, KTC managing director Derrick Pereira Neto and transport director Nikhil Dessai, Cabral announced that the government has made an arrangement of 36 KTC buses, 17 interstate buses and private taxis to ferry passengers on the airport and railway station routes from 7 am till 8 pm.
The routes from airport to Panaji and Margao will be charged at Rs 100 while the routes from airport to Calangute and Ponda will be charged at Rs 150 and from airport to Mapusa will be charged Rs 125. Similarly, the routes from railway stations at Tivim, Karmali, Margao and Vasco will be manned by KTC buses at regular intervals from 7 am till 8 pm.
Tourists have been asked to contact the tourist information counters at bus stands, railway stations and the airport for further information and to contact the nearest police personnel in case of emergencies.
