Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday had to step into a brewing conflict after taxi and bus operators in Goa warned of taking “legal measures” against the practice of Indian Super League (ISL) teams for using public transport vehicles registered outside the state to transport players and officials within Goa.
According to Goa’s Ports Minister Michael Lobo, who was present at the meeting between the chief minister and representatives of taxi and bus operators’ unions, Sawant had directed ISL organizers, state transport department officials, and taxi and tour operators in Goa to meet soon and resolve the issue.
“ISL teams are in Goa. The teams travel in their own buses, Innovas, which are public transport vehicles registered in other states. It is ok if those vehicles are used to drop off team members. But they are also being used to ferry teams from the ground to the hotel or hotel to the ground or other places. It is against the law,” Lobo told reporters outside the chief minister’s official residence in the state capital.
“If our local boys stop these vehicles, they (ISL) may not like it…CM has given directions to the director of transport to call ISL and taxi and bus operators delegation and resolve the issue,” Lobo said, adding that he had facilitated the meeting between taxi and bus operators unions and the chief minister. Taxi and bus operators have said that according to the Motor Vehicles laws, public transport vehicles are not allowed to ply “point to point” transportation of persons or goods in a state, where their vehicles are not registered.
Transport department officials have already been directed to fine owners of buses and taxis registered outside the state, which are ferrying ISL teams and officials, the minister also said.
ISL matches are set to be held across three stadiums in Goa from November 22. Most of the 11 teams have already arrived in Goa to train for the league event.
Lobo said the taxi and bus operators had demanded that they should be allowed to ferry ISL teams at the same prices, which are being paid to their existing outstation public transport operators.
“They should use local vehicles instead, at the same price. Justice has to be done to the people of Goa. It is illegal for those outstation vehicles to ply in Goa. We will give vehicles at the same competitive price here,” he said.
