Goa government probes against errant taxi drivers over fracas with US tourists

The Goa government's Transport Department started a probe on Saturday, two days after nearly 100 US tourists were prevented from stepping out of the international cruise terminal at the state's only major port at Mormugao, in South Goa, by irate taxi drivers, who accused the port authority and the cruiseliner's local handlers of depriving them of business.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said that the tussle at the Port had put Goa to shame on the international tourism map and also demanded that taxi operators, involved in the fracas, apologise publicly.

"I have directed the Transport Department to suspend their taxi permit. I will call for a hearing and if they are involved in the incident, then they will not get any taxi permit. The incident at Mormugao Port has put all in shame, some leaders are tendering apologies. Actually taxi owners should apologise," Godinho told reporters.

The Goa Police has already filed a first information report (FIR) against several taxi drivers who attacked tour buses and threatened their drivers, who were scheduled to pick up the American tourists for a day excursion in the coastal state, which is regarded as a popular beach tourism destination.

The 100 US tourists had arrived in Goa onboard the Ocean Odyssey, an international cruise ship which had a scheduled stopover in Goa on Thursday.

For several years now, taxi operators in Goa have been repeatedly at loggerheads with the state government over the issue of regulation of the sector, which has been accused of not following norms, which includes lack of transparency related to fare and non compliance of rules related to the taxi services.

Goa's taxi drivers have also been accused of working like a 'mafia', even forcing the state government to scrap cab aggregator services like Ola and Uber from operating in the state, following threats by taxi drivers.

After Thursday's altercation at the port, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has warned taxi drivers involved in the incident, while urging the state police to crackdown on taxi drivers, who take law into their own hands.