Taxis On The Boil Again

This first appeared in the Heraldo dated 22 July 2022

The recent assembly session was pretty interesting. The opposition put up a brilliant performance even while some of them were planning to shift to the treasury benches.

 

The ruling party, by brute majority ensured the session was curtailed to a fraction of its original schedule.  It can be really hard for those committed to spending five years in the opposition, knowing that their co-batsmen are actually batting for the ruling party.

 

The powers that be found nothing wrong in curtailing it even further to accommodate the unscheduled visit of the Presidential candidate, surely this could have been held in the evening. Who cares, MLA’s get their salary irrespective of performance or attendance, so often they are not even physically present.

 

There were many topics raised and many brushed under the carpet. The hot topic was the conversion of land which has been reverted to its original status, it mainly effected the LOO.  But, the older complaint against the illegal structure in Old Goa was brushed under the carpet. The rising price of alcohol found a mention but not the rising LPG or food prices. Strange, no?  The taxi issue too was brought to boil, but the boiling three linear projects was left to cool, simply because the Government believed that it is a Central government project. A case of one engine not knowing what the other engine is doing. Should not  “double engine sakar” means each engine knows what other is doing so that they pull in same direction?  

 

What has made the taxicars blood boil is the admission on the floor of the house that they are fleecing the customers and not using the meters given free by the Government. The solution now lies in bring APP based taxis into the picture to set the situation right, like leaving a cat among the pigeons and hoping for a good ending.

 

The APP based taxi model is not a cure all, it is simply a method of putting an available taxi in touch with a customer wanting a ride. Goamiles was an one such operator. During elections, to calm the nerves of the taxicars, Goamiles was forced to go slow, attacks on their drivers intensified and the fact that they do not have meters was brought up. APP based taxis have digital meters. They also calculate the fare based on type of vehicle viz, hatchback, sedan or SUV. They also check facilities wanted viz: AC, wifi, entertainment. The best part of the fare calculation which is user friendly is the fare starts when you are picked up and ends with the drop. A recent ride from airport to Verna I.E. proved to be 45 % cheaper than a black and yellow, the car was clean and driver was a local.

 

In a press conference the Taxicars tried to appeal to the emotions of the goan public by playing the local card. They mentioned that the Transport Department is at fault for the impression created that taxicars are fleecing, they said that the Department has given rates based on Diesel and Petrol and not on capacity. They said they were willing to use meters but the hotel travel desk sets the rate and pays them later. This is not telling the whole truth.

 

Taxi kilometer rates are fixed based on size of vehicle and not on fuel type, many taxis have CNG but accept the same rate to their benefit and why not? Soon electric will be available too. The hotel cannot force their guests to eat in any of their restaurants, so how can the hotel travel desk force the guest to use a taxi parked outside the hotel. Hotels cannot make taxi bills it will attract GST and make the ride even more expensive. What the taxicars did not mention was the fact that if a coach has to enter a hotel to pick guests, the coach owner or the guest has to pay a “non usage of taxi tax” to the union. Now if there is a big group, why would they use ten taxis, surely one bus can be ideal and sufficient.  A customer must have freedom of choice. The union insisted that if OLA/UBER come into play, outsiders will take over the business, please take a taxi from the airport, most drivers are outsiders while owners are goans. So who is introducing outsiders to the business?

 

The taxicars challenged the CM  to compare bank balances, while they have a point politicians income grows leaps and bounds every year when in power, it does not mean taxicars should be also given a license to loot.  

 

At the end of the day, the Government will have to take a call and reset the mess, taxicars cannot demand a right to be part of the decision, how can competitors decide who will compete?  Currently there are three types of taxis, 1) tourist, who have max issues as they feel they own the hotel business 2) black and yellow which operate from airports and train stations and have no other business focus, and 3) rent- a-cab, which has quietly taken over the business earlier enjoyed exclusively by the tourist/black cab, by being customer focused. All these distinctions have to go, there should be taxis available for hire, the owner can choose if he wishes to list on an APP or if he wants he can run a high end personalised service for his customers.

 

The customer be it a local or a tourist, will choose what he wants, that is a right no one can take away. That is a right the Government must hand back to the travelling public in Goa. That is a right whose time has come. VIVA GOA. VIVA COMMONSENSE.