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Meters aimed at harassing us, allege taxi drivers
Meters aimed at harassing us, allege taxi drivers
NT News Service
Margao Jan 16: Opposing the government decision making fare meters
mandatory to tourist vehicles in the state, the Goa Tourist Taxi
Association has questioned the rationale behind the decision.
The GOTTA vice-president, Mr Jose Afonso informed that all taxi
drivers were united in opposing the fare meters. �The all-India permit
vehicles do not need meters. This is only to harass us, and the public
at large, Mr Afonso alleged.
He observed that the fare meters would demean the value of vehicles
once they are fitted on luxury tourist cars.
This is an exercise undertaken by the government to create problems
for us. If meters are needed for taxis then they should be made
compulsory for tourist buses as well, he stated.
Mr Afonso informed that the matter between taxi drivers and tour
operators, who have been at loggerheads for quite some time now, had
been in the court of law.
We cannot be compared with the black and yellow-coloured taxis as we
are attached to hotels and do not operate from designated taxi stands,
he said.
A group of taxi drivers at a Benaulim starred resort was skeptical
about implementation of the government decision on fare meters. Some
drivers asked this reporter, Are you sure that this fare meter
decision will be implemented from next month.?� They alleged that the
state government had failed in looking after their welfare.
The government is not interested in increasing the rate of Rs 8 per
kilometer that had been fixed by the transport department in 2000 one
taxi driver said.
Varca taxi drivers saw red vis-a-vis fare meters. They informed that
they had purchased vehicles like Hyundai Accent, Honda City and Toyota
Corolla on installment.
Now with this meter problem it is going to be tough, they remarked.
The taxi drivers alleged that the government before making the
announcement had never consulted them.
The present government is doing nothing for us. At least the previous
one was better, they observed.
Cheers,
Gabe Menezes.
London, England
