Investigations reveal without speed governors being fitted to vehicles, dealers grant fake certificate for RTO passing
Taxi/ rent-a-cab operators already made payment to dealers for speed governors
SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANAJI: After being allegedly involved in a scandal few months ago, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho seems to be embroiled in yet another controversy this time involving the taxi operators.
The Transport Minister has always been at loggerheads with the taxi operators over several issues like digital meters, speed governors and the cab aggregators, which the operators have opposed tooth and nail.
The taxi operators have now alleged a huge scam in the fitment of speed governors.
The taxi operators alleged that the shortlisted agents or company have issued certificates to many vehicles without fitting the speed governors.
They have also alleged that those who have been fitted with, the speed governors are malfunctioning.
Soon after the Goa taxi operators alleged a scam in speed governors the Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has hit back saying that the taxi operators themselves malfunctioned speed governors.
Shocking isn’t it?
Goemkarponn decided to investigate the issue and what came out was startling.
As per rule every rent-a-cab or the taxi, which should mandatorily have fitted speed governor and this is also checked during passing of vehicle by RTO.
However, our investigations reveal that only the authorised dealers do not have enough speed governors.
“Due to the shortage, the vehicles are not fitted with speed governors and only certificate of fitment is issued by the dealers with an assurance that the same would be done within three months,” said a taxi driver on condition of anonymity.
He said it has almost been a year but there has been no sign from dealers.
He also said a dealer in Porvorim has already shut his shop.
“We have already paid the fees for speed governors and the fitting is not done, who is to be blamed now?” asked another taxi driver.
The operators alleged this is a hiuge scam by the minister and top officers, who are hand in glove with the dealers.
A few operators who have fitted the speed governor claim that they are faulty and malfunction most of the time.
“The vehicles get stuck at 20 speed many a times and sometimes do not even move forward,” they say.
The question now arises is how is the certificate granted without fitting of equipment?
Who is behind the scam? The Transport Minister has to answer some tough questions.
The Taxi Owners met the director of transport on Tuesday putting forth their grievances regarding the speed governors.
Speaking to media Bhaskar Narulkar, said that we are not satisfied with the speed governors which are already installed by the respective car agency, as they are defective. However, when we approached the agency about the outdated device, they demanded additional 5000 amount to change the device.
