Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant seeking a copy of the proposed Digital Taxi Policy and urging the government to include all stakeholders in consultations before finalising the framework.
In a letter dated March 11, TTAG said it had learnt about the proposed policy through the State Budget announcement and discussions held recently in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
The association stated that the government intends to standardise taxi fares and bring the sector under a digital platform to improve transparency and accountability. It also noted that the government had recently held consultations with taxi owners and indicated that only the state-run apps GoaMiles and the Goa Taxi App would be authorised platforms under the new system.
While welcoming the government’s initiative to address issues related to taxi services and app-based operations, TTAG said consultations should be carried out with all stakeholders as the proposed policy would affect multiple sectors in Goa.
The tourism body reiterated its long-standing stand that all taxi aggregator apps should be allowed to operate in Goa to ensure fair competition as well as affordable and transparent pricing for commuters and tourists.
TTAG has requested the Chief Minister to share a copy of the proposed Digital Taxi Policy so that the association can study the draft and provide its inputs.
It also urged the government to include the association in stakeholder consultations before the policy is finalised, stating that the move to digitise the taxi sector should involve all concerned parties.
The association expressed hope that the government would take the matter to its logical conclusion and move Goa’s taxi sector towards a fully digital system in line with other sectors that have already adopted similar platforms.
