Taxi meters: govt time-frame for implementation likely today

the goan I network
PANAJI

Speaking to The Goan, Director of Transport Nikhil Desai has said that simply issuing the order would not solve the problems if one wanted an effective implementation of the meters.
"We have to ensure that there are good quality meters made available from companies of good repute which fulfill a basic set of requirements. They should have a standard and not run as per their whims and fancies, the companies should offer warranties and service for the meter," Desai said.
"Else what will happen, like in the case of speed governors the owners will go on for cheap quality which ended up stalling the engines," Desai said.
"We are working on a plan in which the customers are not put at risk," he added.
According to the Transport authorities a bad quality metre, one which stops working or works at its own will immediately undo the efforts of the government in getting taxi operators to follow the meter as they will simply claim that they cannot go by the meter as their meter is not working.
"Either that, or passengers will be stranded as taxis will refuse to operate citing a non-functional meter,"
Desai said.
The procurement is complicated by the fact that there are as many as 20,000 taxis in Goa and the entire system will have to be put in place before the order can be
implemented.
"As soon as we are ready with all the set of requirements. Else the whole exercise will fail and we want to put our best foot forward as at long last, there will be metered taxis in Goa,"
Desai said.
On Monday, the Bombay High Court at Goa, while hearing a petition filed by the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa has sought that the government issue its order by Wednesday making digital meters for taxis mandatory while in the order the timeline for its implementation could be set out.
The State government
had initially sought until November end to issue the
order.