MARGAO
A storm is brewing on the front and rear side of the Margao railway station over Konkan Railway's plan to venture into bike rentals business to tap the tourist footfall at the railway station.
Beleaguered Yellow and Black Taxi owners eking out a living by plying their taxis on both sides of the Margao railway station have a message loud and clear to the Konkan Railway Corporation Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Santosh Kumar Jha “ stay away from the rental business or face the wrath of Madgavkars surviving on the taxi business.
They, however, have pinned their hopes on Margao MLA Digambar Kamat to persuade Konkan Railway to drop the bike rental business. In fact, the taxi owners and operators plan to call on the Margao MLA after his return from abroad to take up cudgels for the beleaguered taxi operators.
With the taxi business already hit by the entry of the taxi aggregators and rent a bike and car, the Aquem Yellow and back taxi owners and operators said the Konkan Railway’s entry into the rental business will spell doom for the local taxi operators who eke a living on the business and support their families.
“Entry of Goa Miles has hit local taxi operators adversely. These operators have 10-20 taxis with them, while we have only one taxi which we run to support our families”, remarked Rishab Karapurkar.
Demanding that the Konkan Railway chairman do a re-think of venturing into the bike rental business, he warned that people of Aquem will not sit quiet if any attempt is made to take away their livelihood.
“If the Konkan railway is hell bent in denying us our livelihood, we will have no option than to choose the agitation path and close down the roads outside the railway station”, Rishab warned.
He, however, said that the taxi operators have full faith in the Margao MLA to do justice and get the KR rental business scrapped. “We are earning a livelihood on the taxi business because of our MLA Digambar Kamat. He has been with us always. We will approach him upon his return from abroad. We are confident that our MLA will get the KR plan scrapped”, he added.
Members of Yellow and Black Taxi owners, operating from in front of the Margao railway station echoed similar sentiments. Association president Rajesh Shirodkar and joint secretary Deepak Bandekar reminded that nearly 90 per cent of the yellow and black taxi operators eking out a livelihood on the taxi business are Niz Goemkars. They demanded that the government and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should intervene immediately and get the Konkan Railway business plan shelved.
“As it is, our business has been hit with the entry of rent a car and bike at the railway stations. There’s no agency to crack a whip against the illegal activity. Official forays by the Konkan Railway into the rental business will spell doom for the yellow taxi operators”, remarked Deepak Bandekar.
He added: “Which train passenger after alighting at the railway station will hire a taxi or motorcycle if they can get the car and bike rental right inside the station premises. They will alight at Margao or any other station, for a rental, move around the state and return back to catch a train to return home. This will leave the local taxi operators high and dry. The government should intervene and save us from starvation”.
