The decision of the government to turn the screws on the rent-a-cab business in the State after a spate of fatal accidents including the heart-wrenching one on Mandovi bridge which claimed the life of Javed Sadekar of Nachinola leaving his three young kids fatherless and wife widowed, has come as a welcome move for many taxi operators in the State.
Several taxi owners and drivers we spoke to said the exponential growth of rent-a-car vehicles has indeed cornered a slice of their tourism market and welcomed the government's decision to turn the screws through the transport department.
"The government has said it will tighten the enforcement of rules for the rent-a-car vehicles. These are just words. Let us see if it keeps its word with actual action on the ground," said an office bearer of the North Goa Taxi Association.
He did not want to be identified since the Association has still not taken an official stand on the issue even as he argued that a lot many members are also engaged in the rent-a-car business.
The president of the association, Yogesh alias 'Mogambo', was unwilling to make any statement.
"Let me get back to you. We are holding a meeting to discuss the issue. Only then will I be able to give you a statement about our stand on the controversies surrounding the rent-a-car business which have cropped up," Yogesh told The Goan.
Another taxi owner who is part of the Candolim-based Holy Cross taxi association also admitted that several of his taxi-owner friends from across Goa are also simultaneously operating rent-a-car businesses.
"It is true that tourists who hire self-driven cars often drive rashly. Rent-a-car business should come up with SoPs such as a test-drive before renting out their vehicle to the client," he said.
