the goan I network
PANAJI
In a bid to end the feud between private taxi operators and the GoaMiles taxi app drivers, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) on Wednesday came on record to back their protege GoaMiles.
Making it clear that any “compromise” would not be on the table any time soon, chairman of the GTDC, and Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte insisted that there was no reason for officials to come forward and have talks with the private taxi operators as “more than 1,400 drivers have joined GoaMiles.”
Sopte was addressing a press conference at the GTDC offices in Patto.
“These are all private taxi owners from Goa. If 1,400 private operators are ready to join, and are getting the benefit of the (app-based) service, why not others?” he questioned, putting paid to the taxi operators’ demands that the GTDC scrap the app.
“I’ve spoken to the leader of the private taxi
operators from Mandrem and 90 % convinced him,” said Sopte. “There needs to be some discipline (in the taxi business). Things like overcharging need to be brought under control,” he said.
Sopte meanwhile claimed that private taxi operators were “wrong” to say that the GTDC was supporting a private company (Frota Miles) to run the GoaMiles app. “We’re supporting Goans and all those linked to tourism. Three companies had responded to the GTDC’s tender notice, out of which “Frota Miles” had been chosen as the others were outsiders,” he said. It will be remembered that Frota Miles is a Mumbai-based company.
When asked if he would welcome other companies like Ola and Uber bringing their apps to Goa, Sopte was very firm in his response: “No.” When asked to elaborate on why the GTDC was rooting only for one app, he asked, “Why do you want to bring confusion in between? If we’re getting good service from (Frota Miles), why do we need to invite these guys?”
When asked to comment on why it looked like the government was favouring only one specific private player, Sopte said, “Not at all. This is a misunderstanding.” Utkarsh Dabhade, the Managing Director of Frota Miles meanwhile added that the intellectual property of the app was owned and controlled by the GTDC. “Frota Miles has only developed it and transferred it to the GTDC. The ownership is with the GTDC,” he said.
Dabhade also ventured to state that Goa Miles “was willing to clarify the doubts of whoever comes to us.” “A couple of people have come to us and clarified their doubts in our Panaji office. They are happy to join us,” he claimed.
The ongoing rift between the two sides has been steadily escalating, with the private taxi operators threatening a silent protest in the capital city later this week. The private taxi operators are being backed by the Opposition party, while Goa Miles has been backed by the government from its inception.
