It is one year since the online taxi petition was filed on 25th April and has 11,300 signatures. There is no change in taxis scene in Goa and the loot continues….. Manohar Parrikar has been eluding to the petition and finally met with us in Oct 2017. He said he would invite Citizens of Change team next month for discussion. Since then, our repeated calls, emails and reminders have been ignored by Parrikar. Recently Goa govt announced launch its own taxi app in May but at what rates ? Taxigo service which was launched in Sep 2017 with Rs20/km hasn't been affordable for the general public. For the taxi app lot of work has been done at Goan tax payer's expense and unless the rates are competitive in line with other states, people will not use the taxis and the whole purpose of providing this taxi app will fail. Currently the taxi licensing system is for the benefit of Goondas in charge of taxi union to promote goon culture in Goa. Taxi union appoints their own taxi drivers for the lucrative 3-5 star hotels and most of these taxi drivers are known to be from outside Goa. So in the name Goykarponn Goans have been fooled. Government has mismanaged tourism with taxi as it's backbone. The end result is Goans find no work in Goa and have to go abroad for work which leads to settling there permanently. (Please see O'herald - Where have all the young men of Goa gone ?). The Taxi association incited violence on mining protest day, the shameless BJP coalition Government in Goa could not take any action. The taxi union goons are protected by Calangute BJP MLA Michael Lobo and as long as people keep electing such politicians there is no future for Goa. In Goa taxis are used by anti national elements such as drug mafia and also in prostitution business. Casinos also feed these taxiwallas. Because of all these sincere taxi businessmen are suffering. Taxi mafia do not allow them to go out of their clutches. Government should act fast and now .... Prime Minister Narendra Modi has disposed off our grievance no PMOPG/E/2017/0312223 saying letter is sent to us by transport department. So far we haven't received any communication and the taxi loot continues …… There are two questions the Goa Government should answer/should be held responsible for: 1. When will the Goa taxi app be open for local Goans to register with their own vehicles. Given that registration has been open for over 3 months system should be open from 20th June for anyone to register as taxi driver. The rates have to be reduced to make it affordable and provide employment for more people. 2. When will the Goa Government declare taxi app a failure and allow Ola/Uber in the state ? We have already warned through petition update that it does not make sense to just launch taxi app if you cannot provide competitive rates. Before wasting tax payers money a feasibility should have been carried out. In January 2018 CM Manohar Parrikar had promised that "Any passenger who comes and does not want taxi, can opt for Kadamba bus service from airport to Calangute, Candolim, Mapusa, Panaji, Madgaon and within 15-20 minutes he will get a KTC bus to reach his or her destination. When will these buses be available ? Also Parrikar promised complaint system for taxis, when will this be available ? Like any project on trial basis - amphibious bus, all women's taxi, biogas bus or the weed puller boat in Panaji, it appears that the Goa taxi app will also will be a waste of Goan tax payer's money without any one being able to use taxi. Only solution is to allow Ola Uber to improve mobility in Goa and bring a boom to tourism. 10 Apr 2018 Goa govt to launch app-based taxi service by May-end https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/govt-to-launch-app-based-taxi-service-by-may-end/articleshow/63688231.cms 24 Apr 2018 Where have all the young men of Goa gone? https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa-News/Where-have-all-the-young-men-of-Goa-gone/129926.html 22 Mar 2018 Taxi association incited violence on mining protest day: Transport Minister https://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa-News/Taxi-association-incited-violence-on-mining-protest-day-Transport-Minister/128489.html 22 Apr 2018 WE ARE NOT AGAINST TAXI BUT NEED TO UPGRADE SYSTEM https://youtu.be/Vym-GHv2MV4 9 Apr 2018 GOA GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH ITS OWN APP BASED TAXI SERVICE https://youtu.be/J9s8hkp27SA 24 Mar 2018 Goa Airport Gets New Taxi Counter But Yellow & Black Taxi Owners Are Unhappy About It https://youtu.be/M46yyotDiKM 25 Apr 2017 CHIEF MINISTER OF GOA: SUPPORT GOA TAXI REVOLUTION https://www.change.org/p/manohar-parrikar-chief-minister-of-goa-support-goa-taxi-revolution 22 Apr 2018 Taxi, rickshaw drivers to file petition in Supreme Court https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/taxi-rickshaw-drivers-to-file-petition-in-sc/articleshow/63863320.cms?from=mdr 20 Apr 2018 Transport dept upset over Centre doing away with badge for taxis http://www.navhindtimes.in/transport-dept-upset-over-centre-doing-away-with-badge-for-taxis/