Panaji: In a major breakthrough, section of taxi operators on Wednesday said that they are withdrawing their strike from Thursday, after their meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Several hundred tourist taxi operators have kept their vehicles off the road since August 2 demanding that state government should scrap app-based cab service ‘Goa Miles.’
Sawant had made it clear that state government will not scrap Goa Miles while appealing the tourist taxi operators to design their own app, or run their service the way they were doing in the past.
Six day long strike culminated on Wednesday when leaders of Yellow-Black taxi association, which operates from the Airport, met Sawant.
“With the intervention of Chief minister, the Yellow-Black taxi owners association resolved to join back for regular work from tomorrow (Thursday). CM has assured them that their lawful interests will be honoured,” chief minister’s office tweeted on Wednesday evening.
Earlier during the day, Goa Police booked around 48 tourist taxi operators attached to Karmali Railway station for striking the work by violating Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1998.
Goa government had imposed ESMA on August 01, a day before the Taxi operators began their strike demanding scrapping of app-based cab service ‘Goa Miles.’
Old Goa Police Inspector Jivba Dalvi told reporters that 48 tourist taxi operators who were attached to Karmali Railway station were arrested for participating in mass strike on August 06, 2019.
He said that State Transport Department had filed complaint against all the 48 taxi operators at Karmali Railway station for participating in the strike thereby violating the order of the government authority and denying services to the general public.
“Accordingly an offence under section 188 IPC and section 3 of the Goa Essential Services maintenance act 1988 was registered,” he said.
Dalvi stated that detailed investigation will be carried out and all the accused persons will be summoned at the police station for investigation.
