Chief Minister Pramod Sawant indicated that the government has accepted five of the six demands of the protesting taxi operators. The 6th demand of shutting the GoaMiles counter which operates at Manohar International Airport, Mopa has been turned down. The taxi operators, nonetheless, have decided to continue with their protest till the CM’s announcements are given in writing.
Did Sawant concede defeat to the protesting taxi operators? Or did he decide to resolve the issue in the larger interest of the State's tourism? Or, was this move of the CM intended to buy time and diffuse the crisis at hand? The way the issue has shaped up, and the near-resolution that was achieved on Monday, gave an inclination that Sawant was bidding for time. If five of the six demands were accepted without breaking much sweat, they could have been accepted on day one too because there were takeaways for the CM.
Now that the CM has verbally committed, let's examine the practicality of deliverables. Among the key demands were to allow a free taxi counter for local taxis, roll-back of parking fees from Rs 200 to Rs 80, waiver of toll for the Link Road through a green card and use of the old road.
Agreeing to a free counter at the Mopa Airport is a big win for the taxi operators who have been pushed against the wall for their resistance to switch to App-based operations. The question is how the government accommodates taxis which are evading GST and taxes. Let's not forget the charge made very vocally by Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho on the floor of the House saying taxis are denying around Rs 500 crore of revenue to the State treasury.
The chief minister declined the demand of closing the GoaMiles counter at Mopa stating that it was a policy decision to begin services of cab aggregator. The CM endorsed that GoaMiles is providing good services besides contributing to the GST kitty of the government. That being the case, why is the government also allowing over-the-counter taxi bookings? Why not a complete switch to aggregator services with the exception of Blue Cabs?
Secondly, the introduction of tolls is a policy decision involving the Centre. Agreeing to waive it off or make exceptions without any justification only shows that the CM has reacted to pressure. Making a green channel provision for taxis would involve logistical issues that could possibly go beyond the scope of the State government. The other demand for the rollback of parking fees is understandable, but that too involves costs.
The taxi issue has political overtones, but through the five days of protest, and counting, the operators have once again proved their might. They have managed to press home the point that they call the shots, and with Sawant failing to bargain on an app-based taxi system, it appeared to be one-way traffic with the government only managing to defend GoaMiles once again.
The battle appears to be far from over as the operators are pushing for a written undertaking from the CM. Operators have made a smart move because they don't believe these assurances will materialise. The question is whether Sawant would walk his talk.
