Don’t give into unfair demands

The Travel & Tourism Association of Goa has urged the government not to give into monopolistic demands of the taxi lobby and demands that it implement the installation of taxi metersin Goa in accordance to the High Court order.

Hazel Jain

Nilesh Shah, President, Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), has again spoken up against the unfair demands of the taxi lobby in Goa – a topic that has been a bone of contention since years. He says, “While we appreciate the state government’s strong stand against the unjust demands of the taxi union in Goa, there should be healthy competition in any business and therefore TTAG would like to urge the government not to give into the unjust and monopolistic demands of the taxi lobby. These pressure tactics have gone on for long, adversely affecting the tourism sector and it is very important that the government does not succumb to it.”

He says that the association has always stood firmly behind the government’s decision to introduce Goa Miles as it believes that app-based aggregators are the way forward for a tourist state like Goa. “In fact, we would go a step ahead and say that other app-based aggregators like Ola and Uber should also be invited to set shop in Goa as that would only increase healthy competition amongst the operators and give the tourists and locals more options,” Shah adds.

Since the launch of Goa Miles, the industry has received positive reviews from tourists with regards to the transparency, service, pricing and discipline of the app-based aggregator. This has not only brought transparency and discipline in the taxi business but most importantly restored trust in Goan taxi drivers. “We would like to mention that all types of taxis, app-based, pre-paid or meter-based, have facilities at airports throughout the country to market their services and the airport authorities earn revenue from such counters. Therefore, these counters should continue to operate as they provide valuable service to travellers. Goa Miles has one such counter at the Goa airport it brings in transparency and affordability to tourists and locals. We therefore request the Government not to shut down the Goa Miles airport counter,” Shah adds.

More so, TTAG demands that the government in accordance to the High Court order implement the installation of taxi meters at the earliest in Goa, Shah says. He feels that Goa faces a lot of competition from neighbouring tourism states and if the trade wants to make an impact, Goa will have to move with the times.