the goan I network
PANAJI
Aam Aadmi Party, Goa, on Thusday stated that the government has been targetting the taxi operators without understanding their grievances.
Convenor Elvis Gomes said that for too long the taxi trade in Goa was demonised as if they are the only ones responsible for all the ills plaguing tourism.
“Politicians have used and abused these operators. Just because of a few errant taxi operators, the entire industry should not be branded as bad. Foreign tour operators on visit visa operate at will, eating into the livelihoods of these common men while nobody cares,” said Gomes claiming that a proper uninterrupted dialogue with taxi operators was the only way out. ​​
He also called upon taxi operators to remain peaceful and united and show a positive approach without succumbing to political forces.
“They got displaced from their traditional occupations to make way for hotels. They were promised the moon and now they are threatened and told only to look at the moon from the ground. The government has only the suited and booted on their agenda. Why no one questions the airlines or others in the tourism industry who increase their fares at will?”questioned Gomes.
AAP Goa Secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar lambasted the common minimum program (CMP) terming it as “common milking program for the otherwise ideologically disparate forces in the coalition as otherwise they would have sought to protect the interest of the self employed taxi operators.”
