Goa: A proposed meeting between protesting tourist taxi operators associated with the new international airport at Mopa and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant could not take place on Friday afternoon after the Chief Minister termed their agitation as politically motivated. Taxi operators of the Manohar International Airport in Mopa have been protesting since Thursday over their various demands, including a complete halt to illegal transportation at this greenfield airport operated by GMR Goa International Airport Limited. The agitation was expected to settle on Friday afternoon after Chief Minister Sawant invited a delegation of taxi operators to meet him at his official residence at Altinho in Panaji. Chetan Kamat, a leader of the taxi operators, said that around 25 agitators went to meet the CM but were not allowed. Officials asked them to come with 8-10 members. He said the protesters demanded that the entire delegation be allowed to meet the CM or else the meeting be cancelled. Kamat told reporters outside the Chief Minister’s residence that since the entire delegation was not allowed to attend the meeting, they will return to Pernem in North Goa, where their agitation is going on. He said their next step will be decided in the evening. Meanwhile, Sawant told the media that his government has addressed the concerns of the taxi operators in time.
He, however, said the current protest by taxi operators in Pernem appears to be politically motivated.
The Chief Minister said his government is committed to meeting the genuine demands of the tourism industry. The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), the apex body in the tourism sector, has requested taxi owners to consider adopting app-based cab services. It has described it as essential for the “progress” of the coastal state’s tourism sector. Addressing a press conference in Panaji, TTAG President Jack Sukhija said the hotel industry should come forward and work with the state government to promote app-based taxi services. Sukhija called app-based taxi services the need of the hour. I appeal to all taxi operators to adopt app-based services, he said. The protesting taxi operators have demanded that those of them from Pernem be given a counter at the Mopa airport free of cost as they have sacrificed their land for the facility that will be operational from January 2023. They are also demanding immediate withdrawal of the exorbitant parking charges and arrival-pick-up charges, which they claim were hiked without taking local authorities into confidence. The protesters also asked the airport management to stop illegalities in the transport business currently going on at the airport.
