Margao taxi operators warn of dharna over ‘bias’ in FIR action

Margao taxi operators addressing the media on the recent incident at Canacona and the police action.

MARGAO
Margao tourist taxi operators have threatened to sit on a dharna at the police stations in the future till the police register FIRs against tourist taxi operators preventing them from picking up customers from the hotels.

In fact, the Margao tourist taxi operators comprising of Mayur Rane, Salim Sheikh and Abdul said the Fatorda police had moved with lightning speed to register FIR against them over the incident at the KTC bus stand, but took time to book the Canacona tourist taxi operators for blocking the Margao taxi operators at Palolem.

Addressing the media, Mayur further said that Transport Department guidelines give any taxi driver the liberty to ply their taxis and pick up customers from any hotels. He, however, lamented that this liberty is being curtailed by the taxi operators operating from the stands at the hotels and resorts in violation of the laws in force.

Referring to the last week’s Canacona incident where a Margao taxi driver was driven away from Palolem by the local operators, Mayur said the Margao taxi operators had only questioned the Canacona taxi driver when he had come to drop a customer at Margao and called the police. “To our shock and surprise, the Fatorda police has registered a FIR against me and Salim Sheikh and Abdul. On the other hand, the Canacona police has registered a NC case against the Canacona taxi drivers. This only goes to show that discrimination meted out to the Margao taxi drivers,” he said.

He added: “Whenever our taxi drivers go to Canacona and other places to pick up a guest, the local taxi operators question us for no rhyme or reason. They do not even allow us to make a halt. They insist on checking our badges and licences. We would like to know who has given these taxi operators the authority to check our licences.”

Claiming that taxi drivers from Margao go to the hotels based on pan-India online booking, besides bookings by the customers and agents, Mayur said many a time their drivers return back without collecting the guests. “This has to stop immediately. Otherwise, this behaviour of the taxi operators would ruin tourism business,” he added.

Salim Sheikh thanked the Fatorda police for registering FIR against them with lightning speed based on complaint from a Canacona taxi operator. “Henceforth, we expect similar action from the police to our complaints against taxi operators obstructing our activity. Otherwise, we will sit on a dharna at the police stations till the police register the FIR,” he asserted.