THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO
A whopping Rs 40 lakh bill for a counter at Dabolim airport sent the Yellow Black taximen based at the Goa Airport into a tizzy on Wednesday.
The Yellow Black taxi operators met Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida to seek government’s intervention to reduce the staggering bill and to address other issues like lack of parking facility at Dabolim Airport and a demand to close the GoaMiles counter at Dabolim Airport.
Almeida later assured to take up their issues with the government and also advised them to take up the matter with Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho.
Speaking to media, Vasco BJP General Secretary and outgoing Mormugao councillor Yatin Kamurkekar said he also owned a yellow black taxi.
"At the old Dabolom airport terminal, there were only two counters, one for yellow black taxis and the other for tourist taxis.”
“In the new airport terminal, former CM late Manohar Parrikar allotted us two counters but we were not charged all these years although we had written to ask for charges applied for the last many years.”
“But suddenly amid the Covid pandemic, the tourism department has raised a bill for Rs 40 lakh, especially when we were out of business since March.”
“The government should reduce the bill to a reasonable amount after giving a certain waiver where in we can contribute and clear the bill. The tourism department must also directly allot the counter to us," said Kamurlelar.
"Secondly, GoaMiles is an app-based taxi service, but they have been allotted a counter at the Airport. We were initially told that GoaMiles would only have an advertisement campaign on the airport for some months and they would not be allotted a counter. Since it is an app-based taxi service, why should they be allotted a counter?”
“We also face parking issues for several years and the parking terminal built by the airport is not yet functional. Airport authorities must provide us parking facility," said Kamurlekar.
Wrong to allot GoaMiles counter at airport: Carlos
THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO
While assuring to take up the issue of the Yellow Black taxi operators with the government, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida said it was wrong to allot GoaMiles a counter at Dabolim airport.
"GoaMiles is an app-based taxi and they have been allotted a counter at the Airport, which is wrong. GoaMiles may be good for the people, but it is an app-based service and they can't have a counter at the airport.”
“The taxi operators have been allotted a counter at the airport by the tourism department and the Airports Authority of India has raised a bill to the tourism department, which has to pay the bill. I fail to understand why the tourism department has sent the bill to the taxi operators," said Almeida.
“Secondly, why is the parking lot building not being utilised till now? This is causing hardship to taxi operators who have to park by the roadside.”
