Goa govt-taxi operators stand off: CM hardens stand

The ongoing stand-off between the Goa government and operators of tourist taxis over implementation of the app-based cab service, GoaMiles, continued on the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday.

Hardening his stand, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he would not accept the "illogical demands" of the protesting operators.

Speaking to reporters, Sawant claimed a major section of agitating taxi owners was ready to withdraw the strike but "some vested interests are misleading them".

A number of tourist taxi unions have been on strike since August 2 demanding scrapping of GoaMiles.

GoaMiles is an initiative of the state Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) which is aimed at easing travelling woes of tourists and helping Goan taxi drivers earn more. The service operates through a mobile phone application.

The state government had earlier threatened to invoke Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and cancel permits of the taxi operators if they failed to withdraw the protest.

"Our stand on the tourist taxi issue remains the same. We had asked the operators to go for their own app for which many taxi operators had agreed, but some vested interests are misleading them," Sawant said.

He said adequate arrangements were made to ensure that tourists do not get stranded in the hotels where they have put up or during their journey.

Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly Complex, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said there was no impact of the strike on the tourist footfalls.

Meanwhile, GoaMiles spokesman has said that as many as 48 taxis have been damaged by unknown people since the strike by taxi operators began.