the goan I network
PANAJI
Deputy Chief Minister Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar on Wednesday told the Goa legislative assembly that Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) adopted the Expression of Interest bidding route to pick a service provider for an app-based taxi aggregator in the State and that, it has no stake in the enterprise GoaMiles.
Responding in writing to a question posed by Congress legislator Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, he said, GTDC invited ‘Expression of Interest’ from reputed software developers and taxi aggregators to develop an app-based taxi hailing system.
Eighteen entities filed their bids, including the eventual winner Pitasys Software Pvt Ltd, Ajgaonkar’s written reply said.
To a supplementary Lourenco raised, as to whether GTDC has any stake in the GoaMiles aggregator whose operations in the State have raised the hackles of thousands of private taxi owners and operators over the last one year, Ajgaonkar said the rules do not require the Corporation to have any stakeholding in the service provider.
To yet another supplementary whether the app is run by
GTDC, Ajgaonkar answered in the affirmative and claimed that Frotomiles Pvt Ltd, the company floated by the bid winner Pitasys Software Pvt Ltd, is responsible for “managing and operating this service on behalf of GTDC”.
Ajgaonkar said Frotomiles Pvt Ltd was incorporated by the winning bidder on July 10, 2018 with an authorised share capital of 10,00,000/- with Pitasys Softwares Pvt Ltd subscribing 65,000 shares, Parashar Pai Khot of Fatorda (16000 shares), Santosh Patil of Thane-Maharashtra (11000 shares) and Tapan Acharya of Canacona (8000 shares).
Approximately 1450 taxi owners are registered with GoaMiles and Pitasys Softwares Pvt Ltd, the selected bidder, had seven years experience in software development related to transport logistic, the minister added. Ajgaonkar said, GTDC is permitted by Article 2 of its Memorandum of Association, ti carry out such business in response to Lourenco’s query whether it has in its incorporation rules that such cab-aggregator service can be started by it.
