The ‘Taxi Gangs of Xaxti-pur’ report in The Goan, stating that the paper ignored the fact that taxi drivers in Goa are a group of hardworking self-employed men drawn from the working classes of Goan society and that the Church supports this group of Goans in a self-employed business despite a few apprehensions persisting in their practice.
The ‘Taxi Gangs of Xaxti-pur’ report in The Goan, statingthat the paper ignored the fact that taxi drivers in Goa are a group ofhardworking self-employed men drawn from the working classes of Goan societyand that the Church supports this group of Goans in a self-employed businessdespite a few apprehensions persisting in their practice.
The report feeds thealready high level of prejudice on the part of a public most of who have neverencountered the tourist taxi community. The article is short of facts and onlytall on design. The depiction that taxi drivers harass and intimidate innocenttravellers is crude and unwarranted.
The question of harassment does not ariseas taxi rates are on the basis of the government stipulated rates and as perthe official gazette. Taxi unions function with a code of ethics and a legalcontract with the hotel from where they operate. Turf wars actually exist withbus operators and not taxi unions. We urge the media to dialogue with us andrectify the facts because taxi drivers are shown in bad light.
Jeorge Fernandes, Fr Savio Fernandes, Fr Maverick Fernandes
We need not say it. Ask hundreds of tourists who have beenpulled out of their cars, threatened and spoken to rudely by taxi drivers. TheGoan respects hardworking men from the working class but only if they are trueambassadors of the state. Each of the incidents mentioned is genuine and taxidrivers themselves know it. We welcome further dialogue to help taxi driversimprove their image
Editor, The Goan
