AERIAL VIEW
If the taxi owners are not using the meters, why are there no checks? What are your RTOs doing? Are there any complaints? If yes, then fine that taxi operator. Only because of a few drivers can you punish the entire Goan community.
Coming back to the Dabolim issue, how can Dabolim be shut down only because of taxis? Any logic? People going down to South Goa will always prefer Dabolim to Mopa as it would be cheaper for transportation.
Consider this, a tourist going to Canacona or Cavelossim will always want to land at Dabolim as it would be closer and cheaper to reach his destination rather than Mopa.
Mr Godinho, you yourself said that Mopa is a private airport by GMR and they would have all facilities. Mind you, Mr Godinho, Mopa will be far costlier than then Dabolim.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
Well, as expected, Dabolim may not be able to live up to the expectations of the passengers and will finally have to be content as a Cargo airport if the statement of Minister Mauvin Godinho is any indication.
Giving enough indication, Mauvin, after the meeting with the Yellow-Black taxi operators, just stopped short of saying Dabolim will be shut once Mopa starts operations.
He, however, continued to mince words saying the Dabolim airport could be shut down if the passengers do not get app-based taxi services, and he is worried for the taxi brothers. What a childish excuse Mr Mauvin Godinho? And for God’s sake, don’t lie to such an extent. From when have you become a well-wisher of taxi brothers? You are the one who has put the Taxi business in the hands of non-Goans by troubling the Goan taxi owners.
First, you came up with the idea of the Sped Governors, which cost around Rs 6000 to Rs 7000 and forced them to fit those. When they did that, you again came up with the Digital Meters idea. Again after that, now, you say they are not using the meters, and hence you are bringing in app-based taxis.
If the taxi owners are not using the meters, why are there no checks? What are your RTOs doing? Are there any complaints? If yes, then fine that taxi operator. Only because of a few drivers can you punish the entire Goan community.
Coming back to the Dabolim issue, how can Dabolim be shut down only because of taxis? Any logic? People going down to South Goa will always prefer Dabolim to Mopa as it would be cheaper for transportation.
Consider this, a tourist going to Canacona or Cavelossim will always want to land at Dabolim as it would be closer and cheaper to reach his destination rather than Mopa.
Mr Godinho, you yourself said that Mopa is a private airport by GMR and they would have all facilities. Mind you, Mr Godinho, Mopa will be far costlier than then Dabolim.
Being a private airport, GMR would want to make a maximum profit at Mopa. Again, they would share 37 p.c of revenue generation with the State government. And if they do not earn a profit, the GMR will run into heavy losses and hence would need maximum traffic for the airport to be feasible. Isn’t this True, Mr Godinho?
So please stop giving excuses, say that Dabolim will be close to helping GMR to survive.
As it is, taxis have become costlier in every state today. Simply blaming Goan taxis would not help. Petrol and Diesel prices have sky-rocketed, and the maintenance cost has also run high.
Be sympathetic to the issues concerning Goans, as it is the government has also destroyed local businesses in the name of GCZMA and CRZ while the non-Goans carry on illegal businesses by paying huge kickbacks.
The Taxi Association would do better if they do not trust the words of Mauvin Godinho as he is known to change colours as per situation like a Chameleon.