Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: Following stiff opposition from local operators, Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC) today has cancelled the tender for setting up rent-a-bike services at Goa Railway station.
A few days ago, KRC issued a tender looking for an operator to manage a rent-a-bike service at five stations (Margao, Karwar, Canacona, Karmali, and Tivim) in Goa.
“Konkan Railway has floated a tender for renting a bike service provider at stations in Goa. Chairman and MD Santosh Kumar Jha had a meeting with CM and consequently, the tender has been cancelled. Since there a lot of opposition from the local operators,” said KRC.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated that KRC MD Santosh Kumar Jha informed him that the Konkan Railways’ decision regarding the rent-a-bike service will be communicated to the State government within the next two days.
In accordance with the KRCL-floated tender, a single contract covering all seven railway stations—two in Karnataka and five in Goa—will be used to operate the rent-a-bike services.
It is noteworthy that opposition MLAs and local taxi and rickshaw drivers who work at the Konkan Railway stations in Goa strongly opposed this KRCL move. They had alleged that KRCL’s plans to venture into bike and car rentals at all its stations in the State, along with setting up pod hotels at Margao Railway Station, seemed like an attempt to compete with Goa’s thriving tourism sector, particularly in Margao.
The main issue brought up was how the launch of the rent-a-bike service might affect their ability to make a living.
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