Didn't ask toPANAJI: Amidst the ongoing taxi service imbroglio the State government has admitted in a written reply it furnished to the Goa legislative Assembly that no formal study was done on the feasibility of app-based taxi services specific to Goa.
surrender
permits: CM
>> Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government has not asked taxi operators to surrender their permits and that they should join the GoaMiles App on a trial basis for three months
>> Minimum business will be assured to them, Sawant said, and promised State support to the local taxi operators if they wish to launch their own app
In his written reply Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho responded to an unstarred question tabled by St Cruz MLA Antonio Fernandes, specifically saying that no study has been done on App-based Taxi services for Goa.
The private Taxi-operators are on strike for the fifth day on Monday, demanding scrapping of the State-owned GTDC promoted app-based taxi aggregator service Goa Miles.
All local taxi operators have stayed off the roads despite the State government invoking Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).
It can be recalled that the State transport Authority has also given permission to Frotamiles Private Limited to operate in Goa.
'Goa Miles' had already started operating in Goa last year and has claimed that around 1500 taxis have registered with them.
While the government has backed this app-based system which is affliated to GTDC arguing that it is government controlled and generates additional revenue for the STate besides acting as an option to provide safe and fair service to tourists without being cheated.
Local taxi-owner associations are opposing this new service claiming it will in the long run eat into their incomes.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government has not asked taxi operators to surrender their permits and that they should join the GoaMiles App on a trial basis for three months.“Minimum business will be assured to them,” Sawant said, and promised State support to the local taxi operators if they wish to launch their own app.
He also warned that high-handed behaviour by the taximen will be dealt with a firm hand. He nevertheless extended an olive branch to the striking taxi operators saying they should re-start talks with the government.
Withdrawing strike? Airport taxi
operators says it's a 'fake news'
VASCO: Insisting that they would continue their indefinite strike till their issues are resolved, several members of United Taximen Union (UTU), an association of about 350 Yellow-Black taxis at the airport on Monday dismissed “fake news” on social media that the UTU was withdrawing from the strike.
Addressing a news conference in Vasco, UTU office bearers accused the government of attempting to divide the taxi association with fake messages to misguide people.
UTU also demanded an enquiry on how a rent-a-car counter was opened at the airport for a few hours on Day 2 of the taxi strike, after claiming that the matter regarding the rent-a-car counter was pending in the court.
UTU Vice President Sudesh Naik said fake news was being propagated about them withdrawing from the strike and held the government responsible for attempting to divide taxi unions.
"UTU will stand hand in hand with all taxi associations and other organisations who have come out in support of the strike. We are firm that we will not withdraw from the strike, but will continue to be off the road as issues of all taxi associations are the same and we will continue till the issue is resolved by the government.”
“Spreading fake news is yet another tactic by the government to misguide people and create a rift among our taxi associations," said Naik.
Reiterating that the UTU would stand by with any decision taken by other taxi associations, Naik said the government did not take stakeholders into confidence before getting the app-based taxi service.
“Despite several assurances by the CM and legislators, the app-based counter was not removed from the airport,” he said.
Naik said the only demand of the taxi associations was to scrap the GoaMiles app.
UTU lady office bearer Seema Parab said the taxi was a traditional business of many people who had worked all their lives driving taxis, adding that many permits were subsequently transferred to their wives after the death of their husbands.
"There are around 80 women in UTU who have permits transferred on their names after their husbands expired. They are earning their livelihood by engaging drivers," said Parab.
Another senior UTU member, Ramdas Tirodkar, said he had been earning a livelihood through the Yellow-Black taxi all these years.
“But the present government is acting under pressure to not allow the taxi business to grow,” said Tirodkar.
