the goan I network
PANAJI
With the government refusing to bow to their demands, the members of North and South Goa Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association announced that they will continue the State-wide strike at Azad Maidan on Saturday.
Addressing the crowd of around 1,000 tourist taxi owners gathered in Panaji, President of North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association Laxman ‘Bappa’ Korgaonkar requested all protestors to assemble at the Azad Maidan on Saturday at 9 am. “We will fight for the fulfillment of our demands and go to jail if necessary,” he said.
Taxi owners have also given a call to all private bus owners and motorcycle pilots in particular and to the private transport sector in general, asking them to join the strike in solidarity with their demands for non-implementation of rules making speed governors and taxi meters compulsory. All Goa Private Bus Owners Association president Sudeep Tamankar declared that bus owners will join in the strike if it continues till Sunday.
Azad Maidan saw heavy footfall of political leaders, who met the protesting taxi owners to reiterate their support to their demands. A delegation of the ruling coalition comprising BJP Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, Goa Forward supremo Vijai Sardesai and GF minister Jayesh Salgaonkar, who met the taxi owners were booed down by the angry crowd upon their entry.
The trio initially refused to address the agitators and remained under tight police security cover during their visit. However, Lobo later ascended to the stage along with GF minister Vinoda Paliencar only to be silenced after he began voicing the government’s stand on the matter.
Nationalist Congress Party’s lone MLA Churchill Alemao also voiced his backing to the strike.
Aam Admi Party convenor Elvis Gomes and Congress MLAs Ravi Naik and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco along with Congress leaders Pratima Coutinho, Adv Yatish Naik and Agnelo Fernandes pledged their support to the taxi owners. While AAP’s Gomes demanded an account of the ruling coalition’s goemkarponn, Ponda MLA Ravi Naik thundered against the ruthless and aggressive stand adopted by the government. Congress general secretary Adv Naik said that the government’s sly strategy is to harass and gradually brought every sector of Goa’s economy out on the roads.
Meanwhile, the State machinery coped up relatively well despite the absence of tourist taxis on the roads.
Speaking to The Goan, Transport Director Nikhil Dessai said that owing to the preparedness of the authorities, the impact of the strike was blunted to a considerable degree. “There were a few minor hiccups. But by the end of the day, tourists did not feel the impact of the strike. All arrangements will continue to remain in force till the strike is called off. In fact, tourists have called us questioning the need for tourist taxis if the public transport continues to remain efficient,” he stated.
The transport director informed that, as planned, around 70 trips were made on Friday by Kadamba Transport Corporation buses along the routes from the airport and around 20 to 30 trips from the four railway stations at Tivim, Karmali, Margao and Vasco. In addition to this, Goa Tourism Development Corporation buses as well as the double-decker hop-on hop-off buses were pressed into service to reduce the load on transportation within major cities across the State.
