JOIN USAtithi Devo Bhava: Goa cabbies to mandatorily undergo orientation training
Rude taxi drivers who charge tourists on whim could be a thing of the past in Goa, with the state Transport Ministry in the process of implementing a training and orientation programme for the state's cabbies ahead of the forthcoming 2023-24 season.
Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho also said that all the (nearly 30,000) taxi drivers in the state would have to undergo the mandatory programme, which is linked to the validity of their licence to drive taxis.
"Taxi drivers will also be taught to give good welcome to the tourists and provide them with accurate information about Goa... They will have to undergo a mandatory orientation programme where they will learn about traffic signals and how to (courteously) behave with tourists and passengers,” Godinho said.
The orientation programme is set to be conducted soon, during the monsoon season which is a precursor to the coastal state's tourism season which stretches from October to March.
Grooming and training of taxi drivers is critical to the reputation of a tourist destination, Godinho said, because they serve the first point of contact for tourists.
"The taxi drivers are ambassadors of the state for the tourists who visit Goa. When they sit in the taxi, they first speak with the driver. Hence the drivers should have proper training, for which we have conceptualised a compulsory two-week orientation programme. Only those who clear this orientation will get a taxi badge," Godinho said.
A large section of Goa's 30,000 odd tourist taxis drivers, have often been accused of overcharging, intimidating and operating in an unregulated environment. The state government was forced into embarrassment in December last year after 100 US tourists who had disembarked off a cruiseliner at the Mormugao Port Trust terminal in the state had to face harassment from local taxi drivers, forcing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to warn cabbies against harassing tourists.
Nearly eight million tourists visit the state every year, half a million of which are foreign nationals.