Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Transport department has warned to suspend the license of the tourist taxi operators who fail to charge passengers as per digital meter fare.
“The permits of the taxi will be suspended if any taxi operator is not charging passengers based on digital meters,” said Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho.
He further said that his department would launch a drive across the state from next week against taxi operators who refuse to use digital meters.
“The state government will be forced to invite app-based taxi aggregators like Ola and Uber if they continue to overcharge tourists; our government has already provided free digital meters to over 9,000 out of 10,000 odd taxi operators in the state,” he added.
Godinho claimed that he had been receiving several complaints that taxi operators do not use digital meters and tourists are forced to shell out exorbitant amounts.
“Such kind of behaviour from the taxi operators will not be tolerated. We will strictly enforce the usage of digital meters by taxis. If still they continue to avoid digital meters, we will be forced to invite Ola and Uber to the state to provide much-needed relief to tourists and locals who are taken for a ride by taxi operators”, he added.
The minister said that TTAG has been insisting on enforcing digital meters.
“We will cancel the permits of taxi operators found to be not using the digital meters,” Godinho said.
Godinho said that under the direction of the High Court, the state government had decided to install the digital meters in taxis.
