Goa to take up taxi fares issue next month

Panaji, May 23 (IANS) The Goa government will take up the contentious issue of fixing taxi fares in the coastal state in June, as an official on Tuesday ruled out being in touch with app-based Ola to restart its cab operations.

The senior Transport Department official said there was a need to balance the interests of customers/tourists, who are otherwise routinely charged exorbitant fares, as well as local taxi owners.

"Our aim is to give the tourists and taxis operated by Goans regulated taxi fares by the next tourist season. We will start discussions with taxi operators next month. In monsoons, tourist flow comes down and so we can discuss and evolve a mechanism to be put into effect by the next tourist season," the official said.

A section of Goa's 7,000-odd tourist taxi operators have often been accused of overcharging and intimidating customers and operating in an unregulated environment.

Several attempts by the government to get them to follow fare-meter system have failed, even as members of the taxi lobby have attacked tourist buses ferrying foreign tourists, accusing the tour operators of depriving them of business.

When asked about Ola, the official said: "Why do we need Ola? Even local taxi operators can start such a service."

Ola taxi service was introduced in Goa in 2014, but was soon stopped by the Transport Department following protests by local taxi operators.