the goan I network
VASCO
With cruise tourism bringing in a lot of foreign tourists into Mormugao via cruise vessels, stakeholders in the taxi sector seemed to have increased with taxis and cars from Panaji, Calangute and other parts of Goa trying their luck to ferry high-end cruise passengers at exorbitant prices.
On Wednesday morning, the gates of the cruise terminal at MPT witnessed tense moments after taxi owners associated with GTDC counter at the terminal caught several taxi owners who had arrived from area
VASCO
With cruise tourism bringing in a lot of foreign tourists into Mormugao via cruise vessels, stakeholders in the taxi sector seemed to have increased with taxis and cars from Panaji, Calangute and other parts of Goa trying their luck to ferry high-end cruise passengers at exorbitant prices.
On Wednesday morning, the gates of the cruise terminal at MPT witnessed tense moments after taxi owners associated with GTDC counter at the terminal caught several taxi owners who had arrived from area
s like Calangute, Margao and Panaji to pick up guests without authenticity.
The taxi owners, affiliated to GTDC counter, also confronted the taxis and tempo travellers that had gone to the cruise berth to pick up a few guests.
The Mormugao Tourist Taxi Owners Association president Sanjay Kanoji said as a rule, taxis are engaged under GTDC for cruise passengers and work on token systems at GTDC rates only when the cruise vessel arrives.
"Every taxi and bus has the guest list provided to them days in advance, but several outsiders had come with a blank piece of paper to fool the taxi owners and pick up guests," said Kanoji.
"When we have so many taxis already operating under GTDC, why should we entertain outsiders who are not enrolled with GTDC? Guests are important and we don't want to give them a bad idea about us."
"We warned them and let them go on Wednesday, but next time we won't allow them here. All tour operators and taxis have a guest list. They can tell the PI Mormugao that they have a booking and then take, otherwise we won't allow them to take passengers," added Kanoji.
A taxi owner, Manoj Navelkar said buses and tempo travellers from outside Vasco were engaged in picking up guests from the cruise vessel and also charged them higher than GTDC rates.
"We caught a tempo traveller which had charged 800 Dollars for a trip to some destination. The price is way high and also gives a bad image. He was not also registered with GTDC nor our union. Who will be responsible for any untoward incident," questioned Navelkar.
Another taxi owner Deepak Kavlekar said though everywhere there was noise that taxis are looting guests, the tour operator charged the guests much higher than GTDC rates.
The taxi owners, affiliated to GTDC counter, also confronted the taxis and tempo travellers that had gone to the cruise berth to pick up a few guests.
The Mormugao Tourist Taxi Owners Association president Sanjay Kanoji said as a rule, taxis are engaged under GTDC for cruise passengers and work on token systems at GTDC rates only when the cruise vessel arrives.
"Every taxi and bus has the guest list provided to them days in advance, but several outsiders had come with a blank piece of paper to fool the taxi owners and pick up guests," said Kanoji.
"When we have so many taxis already operating under GTDC, why should we entertain outsiders who are not enrolled with GTDC? Guests are important and we don't want to give them a bad idea about us."
"We warned them and let them go on Wednesday, but next time we won't allow them here. All tour operators and taxis have a guest list. They can tell the PI Mormugao that they have a booking and then take, otherwise we won't allow them to take passengers," added Kanoji.
A taxi owner, Manoj Navelkar said buses and tempo travellers from outside Vasco were engaged in picking up guests from the cruise vessel and also charged them higher than GTDC rates.
"We caught a tempo traveller which had charged 800 Dollars for a trip to some destination. The price is way high and also gives a bad image. He was not also registered with GTDC nor our union. Who will be responsible for any untoward incident," questioned Navelkar.
Another taxi owner Deepak Kavlekar said though everywhere there was noise that taxis are looting guests, the tour operator charged the guests much higher than GTDC rates.
