Panaji (Goa): In view of high court continuously monitoring the case of delayed installation of digital taxi meters, the Goa government today withdrew its earlier notification that kept in abeyance the implementation of the Amended Rule 140. 

The division bench, which is hearing a petition filed by major tourism stakeholders in the tourism industry alleging the government was illegally and unconstitutionally keeping in abeyance the implementation while also seeking directions for its immediate enforcement, has decided to monitor the State’s progress on the implementation.   

When the matter came up for final disposal this morning, the government counsel submitted that while it has withdrawn the previous notification that temporarily suspended its decision on enforcing the digital meters, the government required three months time to bring it in force. Questioning the intentions for a long time period, the court then decided to now monitor the progress of the implementation and adjourned the matter to December 11. 

In June 2015, the transport department had issued a notification making it mandatory for the 15,000-odd tourist taxis in Goa to install GPS-enabled digital meters. The decision was subsequently kept on hold due to an agitation by tourist taxi operators. The petitioners comprising of Travel & Tourism Association of Goa, Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry and others, said that the implementation of the rules has been deferred from time to time through notifications, whereas on November 11, 2016, the government issued a notification keeping in abeyance the implementation of Amended Rule 140.

The Goa Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2015 requires motor cabs to be fitted with fare meters. The TTAG members had approached the government requesting it to implement the rules in the interest of tourism in Goa and stated that the abeyance is not only illegal and without authority of the law, but will also perpetuate the damage already caused to businesses in the tourism sector.