The ongoing fight against Goa’s Taxis to bring Ola and Uber to Goa has gone up a notch, with citizens now opening a Facebook page – The Taxi Revolution In Goa – to garner support and bring app-based taxis to Goa.
As per a Times Of India report, last month, an online petition was started by Mahesh Sardesai, an NRI of Goan origin, urging Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to introduce app-based taxi services in the state as competition for Goa’s Taxis. The petition gatherer over 7200 signatures, but failed to attract the kind of interest that was hoped. The petitioners have now started a Facebook page to seek support and pressurize the government.
As of today, the Facebook page -The Taxi Revolution In Goa—has got around 2,012 likes.
One of the reasons this petition was started is that a flight ticket from Mumbai to Goa costs roughly the same amount as the taxi fare from the airport to the capital city, if not more.
A few years ago when Ola attempted to launch its services in the state, taxi unions registered a strong objection by going on a two-day strike, arguing that their livelihoods would be affected if external players were permitted entry into the market. The government relented to the pressure and conceded to their demands.
An amendment was brought in 2015 to the Goa Motor Vehicles Rules, 1991, making digital fare meters with printer and a global positioning system (GPS) tracking device mandatory. But despite the amendment, the government has not been able to enforce it on the taxi operators.
“Fitment of meters and GPS is in abeyance. The matter is sub judice. We have to wait for the court order in order to decide the next course of action,” a transport official said.
So we ask – Is it time to say Dev Borem Korum to taxis in Goa ?
Read the full Times Of India Report HERE.
Source: Nida Sayed | Times Of India
Pic Credit: INQUIRER.net
