MARGAO
GTDC’s plans to introduce app-based taxi service in the State on Monday may run into rough weather as an agitated South Goa Tourist Taxi Association on Sunday sounded a warning to the government not to disturb the peace along the coast, even as its members demanded an immediate
stop to the introduction of
the service.
While accusing the GTDC for not heeding to the pleas of the thousands of tourist taxi operators, the association asserted that introduction of the service will not only finish the existing self- employment of tourist taxi owners/operators, but also destroy the identity
of Goans.
Terming the decision as nothing but an attempt to allow back-door entry to outside players such as Ola and Uber, the tourist taxi operators asserted that the service will spell doom for them and their families eking out a living from the business.
Addressing the media, association general secretary Roque Fernandes said the tourist taxi operators are in the dark on the app-based service since the government has not taken them into confidence.
“We do not know whether the service will benefit the tourist taxi operators or not. We are the tourism stakeholders, but we have not been taken into confidence till date,” Roque said.
He said many of them sacrificed their traditional occupations such as fishing and toddy tapping to allow starred hotels to come up on the coastal belt. “What would be the future of these people as app-based service will only commercialize the business”, he said.
Bernard Fernandes recalled that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had in the past promised to protect the interests of the tourist taxi operators.
A tourist taxi operator Furkhan Shah pointed out that Goa is not a metropolitan city where taxi operators could get continuous business unlike Mumbai, Delhi or Chennai.
Association President Vincy Carvalho said the government was out to commercialize the tourist taxi business. The app-based service will only bring in outside players into the business through the backdoor.
Parshuram Sarlekar of Goa First said that the service will destroy 20,000 Goan tourist taxi owners/operators, besides their families depending on the tourism business.
Another operator Jose Afonso said introduction of the service will make it difficult for tourist taxi operators to sustain their livelihood since there is no assurance
from the government or any other authority of fixed customers or fixed business to the taxi owners.
The introduction of the service will create commotion and fight amongst the existing tourist taxi operators attached to the starred and beach hotels and those who enter from outside.
“Before introducing the service, our objections should be heard openly and the government should assure that all the taxi owners will get minimum business per day, Jose added.
