PERNEM
Having been allotted a dedicated Blue Cab Prepaid Taxi counter at Mopa Airport for taxi operators from Pernem taluka a little over a year ago, local taximen have now been informed that Blue Cab taxi services have been suspended at Mopa airport from Tuesday.
GMR Airports Limited (GAL) defended its decision to suspend Blue Cab taxi services on grounds that the Blue Cab operators had failed to obtain security clearances.
In a letter to Sanjay Kambli, President of the Blue Cab Prepaid Taxi Association (BCPTA), the GMR Airports Ltd stated that under clauses of the licence agreement dated November 23, 2023 between the Blue Cab Prepaid and GAL, the BCPTA had been required to obtain security clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.
“In spite of our repeated requests and reminders to comply with the same, you have failed to obtain the above security clearances which is a continuing breach of the License Agreement. In view of the continuing breach, all your operations from our Airport shall stand suspended w.e.f. April 15,” stated the GAL Head (Car Park and Ground Transport).
GAL also claimed to have issued notices dated June 11, 2024, and January 15, 2025 for rectification of breach of the License Agreement.
When contacted, the BCPTA confirmed having received the notice and said the matter has been conveyed to all Blue Cab taxi operators. The association added that discussions have begun to resolve the matter.
Incidentally, the taxi counter of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation was closed at Mopa airport from April 1. After that, the taxi operators met and discussed the matter with Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar.
Arolkar then got in touch with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, before the counter was re-opened.
AGITATIONS AND DELAYS
Taxi operators from Pernem had been agitating for a special counter at Mopa Airport ever since the airport was inaugurated on January 5, 2023.
Their agitation went on for nearly seven months, before the State government decided to allot a Blue Cab prepaid taxi counter to taxi operators in Pernem in August 2023.
There was a further delay in opening the Blue Cab counter, and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho finally inaugurated the Blue Cab Prepaid Taxi counter at Mopa airport on February 3, 2024.
Stating that the Blue Cab Prepaid Taxi counter at MIA was for the benefit of taxi operators from Pernem taluka, the minister during the inauguration function had appealed to the taximen in Pernem to remain united and provide good service to tourists.
Godinho had also admitted there had been certain technical difficulties in setting up the counter earlier.
“Taxi operators had staged agitations to demand the Blue Cab Prepaid Taxi counter and we were engaged in regular discussions with them. There had been some delay in setting up the counter on account of technical difficulties and procedures, because the MIA is owned by a private player. But we were confident that the Blue Cab Prepaid Taxi counter would be set up and it has finally materialised,” Godinho had said at the function.
