MAPUSA
The North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association and the yellow and black taxi-owners on Friday demanded an extension of moratorium on repayment of loans and waiving off interest on loans for at least a year.
The taxi owners have also requested the government to consider waiving off road tax for six months and not to penalise them for late payment of tax fees.
“The pandemic has jeopardised lives of all taxi owners. With no money coming in, the taxi owners cannot pay their EMIs (Equated Monthly Installments). We appeal to the government to extend the moratorium on repayment of loans till March 2021,” said Vasudev Arlekar, President of North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association.
The North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association President along with other taxi owners was addressing a news conference in a hotel in Calangute.
Predicting a bleak future for the taxi owners, Arlekar said the tourist taxi owners mostly depended on tourists but with no tourists coming to Goa the livelihood of the taxi owners was at stake.
He said many drivers own cars worth Rs 10 to 20 lakh and they have to pay EMIs at the rate of Rs 20,000 to 40,000 per month.
“Since the lockdown from March onwards we have had no business. The only concern of every taxi owner is how to repay the bank loans. Since there is no money coming in and no other source of income to depend on, we are really in a tough situation,” he said.
Arlekar also requested the government to waive off interest on loans for a year and road tax for at least six months.
“The government should absolve us from paying road tax for six months and refrain for penalising taxi owners for late payment of tax,” he said.
North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association Secretary Prakash Kurke informed that the taxi owners had met the chief minister and requested for waiving off road tax and to stop penalising them for late payment.
“The CM had promised to look into our issues and take a favourable decision. He had also told us that an appropriate decision would be taken by the cabinet,” Kurke said.
“Don’t keep us in the dark. The government should tell us what decision has been taken. We know the government finances are also not very good. But we are living in hope that the government will take a decision favourable to us,” he added.
