Goa taxi operators calls off strike; CM forms panel

Nearly 15,000 taxi owners and auto-rickshaws in Goa today called off their strike after Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar assured them to take action against illegal rent-a-cab and related businesses.
Nearly 15,000 taxi owners and auto-rickshaws were off the roads on second day of the strike today as they demanded ban on rent-a-car and rent-a-bike business which has adversely affected the traditional taxi business in the tourist state.
Parsekar, along with Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, held a marathon meeting with the striking unions here and announced that a 11-member committee will discuss and fulfil their demands within three weeks.
"We are calling off the strike as government has assured to solve our demands within a time frame," General Secretary, All Goa Tourist Taxi Association, Vinayak Nanoskar, said.

"The chief minister will chair the committee which will find out the solution for problems of taxi owners. The solution will be worked out within three weeks rather than lingering the issue for months together," Lobo told PTI.
Transport minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar and Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar are part of the committee that will sit at smaller intervals, he said, adding that police and Transport department will immediately crackdown on the illegal rent-a-cab and rent-a-bike business.

"The number of vehicles illegally plying on rent has increased manifold posing threat to taxi business," the BJP MLA said.
All Goa Tourist Taxi Association and South Goa Tourist Taxi Association had given the strike call yesterday that hit scores of tourists, who were left stranded at the airport, railway stations and several other places.

After the meeting, the taxi owners gathered at Azad Maidan and decided to call off their agitation.
"We are monitoring the government's action. If we are ditched we will go on an indefinite strike," Nanoskar said.
Goa Tourism Development Corporation and Kadamba Transport Corporation had pressed into service extra buses to ferry tourists from various hotels and the airport.