Angered by an online petition to bring taxi operating companies Ola and Uber to the state, the taxi drivers association on Wednesday strongly disapproved of the petitioner, Mahesh Sardesai, calling them ‘goondas’. However, they maintained their stand that they were against the companies setting base in the state.
Panaji
Speaking to The Goan, North Goa Tourist Taxi Association (NGTTA) president Vinayak Nanoskar said it was okay for a citizen to practice his right to start a petition but should have refrained from using harsh language.
“It is their constitutional right if they want to start a petition, we have no problem. But why should all of us be labeled as goondas when may be only a few behave that way. By doing so, our feelings have also been hurt and we will not keep quiet,” he said.
In addition, Nanoskar also took to the social media (Facebook) threatening the petitioner who is reportedly living in Canada. While speaking about the petitioner, he said what right did the petitioner have to launch a diatribe against the local cabbies. “Why didn’t he complain to the authorities if he had a problem with a taxi driver while he was in the state?”
The online petition by Mahesh Sardesai consists of a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and looking to garner support in the form of signatures.
In his petition, Sardesai lambasted the local taxi operators for overcharging their passengers. He also listed the advantages of having cab aggregators, adding that locals too would use the service.
But according to Nanoskar, the end result of having these app-based companies in the state would not be beneficial to them. “We have always said not to Ola and Uber coming to the state and we stand by this. People may think it is beneficial, but it is not to us. We earn our daily bread and butter from this business by taking example from other states,” said Nanoskar.
Unlike in a metro city, Nanoskar said the Ola/Uber model wouldn’t work in the state as passengers in villages would not be the same as in towns and cities. “Say if we have a passenger in Panaji who wants to go to Canacona, the passenger will pay for only one way and not for return. We as taxi drivers would not get another passenger in Canacona as there isn’t much activity there. How do we make up for the return trip?” he asked.
