PANAJI
The private transport operators and the persons employed directly and indirectly in this sector have been badly affected due to the Covid pandemic. The 25,000 tourist taxi operators, 1,700 motorcycle pilots, and around 3,000 persons employed in the private bus service have been badly hit by the pandemic for the last 5 months since March 2020.
Almost all tourist taxis, numbering more than 25,000 are out of business in the coastal State, as the main business which is tourism has been affected due to the pandemic.
Around 1,700 motorcycle pilots are struggling to meet daily needs with one or two customers a day.
Private bus service also has been badly affected as only 50 to 60 private buses out of a total of 1,460 buses in the State are operational. Of the buses which are operational, bus owners themselves drive the buses as they can’t afford to pay the salary of a driver.
“Around 25,000 persons employed directly or indirectly in the private bus service have been affected in the pandemic,” claims All Goa Bus Owners Association president Sudip Tamhankar.
“Main commuters in buses are government servants, students, and migrants. Government servants prefer their own vehicles while students are not travelling and the migrants have left the State. This has affected the bus business,” explained Tamhankar.
Tamhankar demanded some relief from the government as a waiver in vehicle taxes. “Many bus owners are getting notices from their banks,” he added.
