Goa taxis go on flash strike, ask govt to stop app-based cabs

PANAJI: At least 20,000 taxis in Goa participated in a flash strike on Friday in protest against the state government's refusal to scrap the app-based taxi service GoaMiles. The move left the government scrambling to make alternate arrangements for tourists, who once again found themselves victims to the arm-twisting methods of the Association of Tourist Taxi Owners of Goa (ATTOG).
The strike will continue on Saturday till the government decides to scrap GoaMiles, ATTOG president Chetan Kamat said. He said they would go for talks with the government only after GoaMiles is scrapped. CM Pramod Sawant offered the taxi unions a role in the functioning of GoaMiles. "I have informed the taxi unions that the government is willing to have a four-party agreement to run GoaMiles," he said.
ATTOG, which has the support of All Goa Yellow Black Taxi Association, wants the government to scrap GoaMiles and subsidise 80% of the cost of the GPS-enabled digital meters that the transport department has made mandatory for all taxis. The chief minister had earlier offered the union the option of starting their own taxi app, which the government would help develop and promote."GoaMiles doesn't mind if the taxi operators come up with their own app because we respect healthy competition. We are pretty open for that," said GoaMiles managing director Utkarsh Dabhade.
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References

1. ^{^} Pramod Sawant (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
2. ^{^} healthy competition (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
3. ^{^} Dabhade (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

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