Panaji  (Goa)

 

Notwithstanding government warning, tourist taxi operators have gone ahead with the strike keeping 18,000 cabs off roads today. 

The strike called by North and South Goa Tourist Taxi Associations is to protest installing speed governors and alleged harassment by police and transport authorities.  

 

The unions have said that taxi operations at the airport, railway stations and other tourist spots will be affected. This is even as the yellow and black taxis, stationed at the airport have not joined the strike. 

 

Vinayak Nanoskar, General Secretary, North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association said that taxi operators are not willing to install speed governors in their vehicles and alleged that a lobby within the State government is insisting on these governors at the behest of the company supplying it.

 

However, the government had denied allegation stating speed governors are mandatory on every commercial vehicle, through an order by the Central government. 

 

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has warned of action like suspension of license; but this has not stopped the operators from going on strike. The government has declared the strike illegal and invoked ESMA as well as section  144 CrPC. 

 

To ensure the tourists are not stranded, Transport Department, Goa Tourism Development Corporation and Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited have made alternate arrangement. 

 

While additional vehicles are stationed at main tourist spots, public places and GTDC residencies for the convenience of the tourists, another 400 vehicles of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa could be included, GTDC Chairman Nilesh Cabral told reporters. 

 

The KTCL has also added more buses to the fleet including 17 of its iteration state buses to pay during the strike period. 

 

Cabral lamented the strike called by the operators warning to introduce Ola – Uber like taxi app service in Goa. 

 

“If the taxi operators continue to hold tourism industry to ramson we will look at Ola-Uber like services in Goa. Government cannot bow down to ebery demand of the taxi operators. We have been always thinking good about local stakeholders but if this attitude continues, I will be instrumental to bring our own app based taxi service.  Let there be competition,” he warned.