Taking advantage of the abolition of commercial driver’s badge, government employees are now raking in the moolah doubling up as taxi drivers in their free time, severely cutting into the business of commercial taxi drivers
Following the abolishment of the requirement of a commercial drivers’ badge system, government employees are cashing in on the same, driving taxis in their free time. This has put the commercial taxi drivers into a spot as such unfair practices are eating into their income.
According to a Times of India report, the North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association (NGTTOA), has alleged that some state government employees are doubling up as taxi drivers after work, following the abolishment of the commercial badge system. Speaking to the Times of India, Vice President of NGTTOA, Ravindra Vengurlekar, informed, “Now anybody with a driving license can drive a taxi. We have seen many government employees driving taxis in the evenings and nights after office hours. Earlier only those with a badge could drive tourist taxis,” he said.
Further according to this source, to stop this unjust practice the Calangute-based NGTTOA have made a representation to the Chief Minister and requested the state government to cancel the tourist taxi permits of vehicle owners who are also government employees. “The vehicles are registered in their wife’s name. Earlier, these government employees would hire out their vehicles to those who had badges, but now the owners themselves are driving the tourist taxis,” states Vengurlekar. “We want the badge system to be restored.”
The executive committee of the NGTTOA is meeting next week to discuss this issue. To keep up with the times, the association is also mooting the idea of developing a mobile app, like Miles and other taxi-hailing apps, so that passengers can contact these taxi drivers directly.
Image source: MID DAY
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