TravTalk India Online Magazine
App-based taxi services in Goa is much needed, says Nilesh Shah, President, Travel & Tourism Association of Goa, adding that govt should take a strong stand against local taxi unions resorting to hooliganism.
TT Bureau
Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) strongly commends the Minister of Transport, Mauvin Godinho, for supporting the app-based taxi services in Goa. Nilesh Shah, President, TTAG, is of the opinion that if technology is being used in the field of passenger transport all over the world, then why not Goa? “App-based taxis have become popular and have transformed the transport industry in a seismic manner. They bring about transparency, convenience, are more price efficient and give the consumer greater freedom of choice. This has resulted in the market being more efficient. TTAG fully supports the introduction of app-based taxis in Goa. Goa Miles is a company in the same field of app-based services and over the years has incorporated over 1,500 taxis in their system. This has resulted in local employment improving with taxi drivers from the interior of Goa also getting jobs. However, their operations have been hampered by hooliganism and physical force adopted by some local taxi unions with political backing. The government should take a strong stand against such behaviour and fully support everyone’s right to free business,” he says.
Shah said that Ola and Uber should be allowed to operate in Goa with full police protection for their operations. “However, certain unethical practices adopted by such app based taxi operators such as under-pricing and over-pricing during certain periods should be regulated,” he added. TTAG would also request the government to do an audit and find out how many Goans have individual taxis, how many drivers from outside the state are employed, and how many family members of any government department own a taxi, to expose any
hypocrisy in the system.
