Porvorim: Despite Goa’s taxi unions staunchly opposing the Goa govt’s plans to bring in a digital platform to ensure uniformity and transparency in cab fares, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday insisted that the Goa Digital Taxi Policy will be rolled out in the coming fiscal year.In his budget speech, Sawant described the Goa Digital Taxi Policy as “progressive” and beneficial for tourists and local residents.“The progressive Goa Digital Taxi Policy, aimed at modernising transport through technology-driven and citizen-centric services, will be implemented from this year,” said Sawant.On Thursday, Sawant sat down with 36 taxi associations to present the draft Digital Taxi Policy.The taxi operators were adamant that the govt should first scrap GoaMiles and the Goa Taxi app before holding discussions about the proposed digital taxi policy. The govt constituted a 4-member committee headed by the deputy transport director to look into the concerns raised by the state’s taxi associations. The committee is going to meet on Monday to accept inputs from the stakeholders.“With regard to the Digital Taxi Policy, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) would like to reiterate its stance on taxis in Goa. All apps should be allowed, and there should be affordable and transparent pricing for locals and tourists. The input of TTAG and other stakeholders should be taken while formulating this policy,” said TTAG spokesperson Aakash Madgavkar.
