Panaji: Goa government on Saturday night announced setting up of special control rooms to provide assistance to the tourists who are stranded due to unavailability of transport due to ongoing strike by tourist taxi operators.
State chief minister Pramod Sawant held a high level meeting of tourism industry stakeholders, transport department officials and top brass police officials before announcing a special control room.
Several hundred tourist taxis are off the road demanding that state government supported ‘Goa Miles’, an app-based cab service be scrapped. The strike entered second day on Saturday.
While reiterating that state government will not cancel Goa Miles service, Sawant said that all arrangements are in place to help the tourists to ensure that they are not stranded on the road.
“We will announce control room numbers tomorrow for both the districts. Any tourist who is stranded can call the number to get the transport,” he said on Saturday night.
Sawant said that state run Kadamba Transport Corporation has also launched buses from the coastal belt on hourly basis which will ferry passengers to the Airport.
During the day on Saturday, two incidents of attack on drivers of Goa Miles allegedly by leaders of Tourist Taxi unions were reported.
State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said that those tourist taxi operators found involved in violence or misguiding people will have their licences cancelled.
“We will not tolerate any violence on the street. The strict instructions are given to the transport department that the licences should be cancelled, if they are found to be involved in misguiding the other tourist taxi operators or indulging in violence,” he said.
Chief Minister said that the tourist taxi operators can join the Goa Miles app, or can develop their own app, for which, state government is ready to provide necessary help.
