The latest taxi strike that hit the state really left a bitter taste in the mouths of almost every tourist that got stranded in Goa during the weekend. For the average tourist, domestic and international, it was an absolute nightmare with almost every taxi operator being off the street. Even though private vehicles and other alternative modes of transport were pressed into service, there was still trouble in paradise.
Money lost and a tourist’s holiday ruined
In the past, no one had trouble when planning and executing a much-needed holiday to Goa. For the average tourist back in the day, our tiny state was the first choice for a vacation spot. Unfortunately, times have changed and most people would really travel elsewhere in the country or even abroad because the infrastructure and facilities offered are much better.
Take the story of Parul Dhariwal, a physically challenged girl who chose to come to her dream destination, Goa, last week with her parents. It was her first holiday in 4 years, one that she was eagerly awaiting and had carefully planned out in anticipation of having a great holiday.
However, the situation in Goa with the taxi strike ruined it all for her. When she landed in Goa on the 17th of January, Parul received the news about the strike. “I was waiting for the last four years to undertake the trip after completing my studies. I answered my company secretary (CS) inter exam in September and then we booked this holiday. It was Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 down the drain. We were stuck at our resort in Porvorim,” said Parul. She spoke to a news reporter while waiting for the train that would take her and her family to Mumbai, from where the family would fly to Kolkata.
The family could not fulfill their sightseeing plans comfortably and the hotel that they were staying at in Porvorim refused to help as well. Fortunately for Parul, she managed to contact a friend who agreed to drop them to the train station in Karmali on their day of departure.
Her mother Sudha, a homemaker, said that she felt that they had spent all that money to only step onto Goa’s soil and go back, while her father Binod said that they were not even able to eat a meal at any other restaurant other than the one at the hotel.
Goa is quite possibly losing its charm as a tourist destination
For each and every tourist visiting Goa, the standard is surely dropping. With all the issues that the state is facing as a tourist destination, it’s clear that in a few years more, there won’t be anything to show or attract people to the state. The taxi strike aside, every day there are complaints about taxi operators fleecing tourists with their rates. Without meters being installed in every taxi, it’s no wonder this is happening.
As an annoyed Parul added at the end of her meeting with the media, “Next time, we are planning a holiday to Goa, we will give the Goa government a call before going ahead with our bookings.”
Information credit – TOI
ItsGoa/JAN/KDGP
