The Taxi service is one of the major part of the tourism industry as the tourists remains dependent on it when they visit the state. Goa is being a tiny state there is a lack of public transport system in the state and tourists as well locals have to remain dependent on the other means of transport, like cabs and motorcycle pilots.
Looking at the existing situation the department of tourism and government of Goa had allowed the Taxi Aggregation like GoaMiles into the state but the strong lobby of Taxi operators in Goa made its business difficult.
The Travel Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has reinstated its earlier demand of bringing the taxi aggregators Ola and Uber into the state.
The TTAG has brought to the notice of the state Government that the digital meters installed on the Taxis in Goa are non-operational and it does not make any sense.
There are nearly 15 thousand Taxis in Goa and out of that 8 thousand plus taxis have installed the meter following the pressure from the the state government to install the meters on Taxis. The state government has also warned them of cancelling their licences in case of non compliance.
According to the latest updates, 8792 Taxis in Goa have fitted with the meters but they are not functioning as the Taximen did not make use of it and charge any rates they feel fair, which leads to the fleecing of the passengers.
The TTAG has brought this to the notice of state government and asked them to monitor the operations of the same. “It is high time that the meters installed on the Cabs to be put in operation and same to be monitored to make sure that there is no misuse,” said the TTAG president Nilesh Shah adding that Taximen been fleecing the tourists who came down to Goa during the month of November and December. “The state government should allow the taxi aggregators Ola and Uber and GoaMiles to operate in the state.”
Meanwhile the state government has released the updates about the progress in the fitment of the meters on Taxis in Goa. In its reply to the High Court of Bombay at Goa it has revealed that nearly 8 thousand taxis in Goa has been fitted with the merers.
Accordion to that, there is substantial progress in digital meter fitments on the Taxis in Goa. The meter fitment that began in September with 1247 fitments has gone up to 5732 by November and 7,726 by December.
According to the reports, total 8792 taxis in Goa have been fitted with the digital meters as of January 10, 2022. “There are more 171 taxis who have made the bookings and awaiting the installations,” said the director of transport.
According to the Transport Department 73 percent of the taxis in the state have been already fitted with the meter considering about 12 thousand working taxis on the road.
The Director of Transport has assured that they have enforcement agencies in place who is keeping vigil on the taxis plying on roads, and during the hearing of the court the department has exhibited the challans issued to 519 taxis plying on road without the digital meters.
Now the current scenario is such that the TTAG keeps filing the contempt petition in the high court against the lapses of the department and the department keeps responding but the situation remains same, despite of the fitment of the meters the taxi fellows charging their own rates to the passengers, and there is no visible solution to it.
The government keeps pushing cabbies to install the meters and comply to the norms but the cabbies do not comply saying it impacts their earnings. What according you the solution to this? Entry of Ola and Uber or compliance by the taxi operators?
