Rent-a-cab assn for action against renting of pvt vehicles

Panaji: The North Goa Rent-a-Cab Association has demanded a comprehensive crackdown on private vehicles that are illegally hired out as rent-a-cabs in the state.A delegation from the association met the regional transport office’s (RTO) enforcement wing on Thursday to highlight their concerns.Members of the delegation also urged the RTO to take strict measures against taxis that operate as rent-a-cabs by allegedly changing the number plates.Transport department officials reportedly assured the taxi operators that action would be taken.“More than 2,000 private vehicles are being operated as rent-a-cabs and taxis in the state,” said Nitesh Chodankar, president of the association. “It is very easy to identify if a private car has been given on rent.

You can easily make out who is a tourist and who is a local driver.”Chodankar said that rent-a-cab operators are blamed for road accidents, driving on the shoreline, criminal activities, and rash driving. “However, if you observe closely, a majority of the time they are private cars given on rent. Private cars are freely given on rent and then rent-a-cabs are blamed,” said Chodankar.“There are people who have come to Goa and settled here by buying villas and guest houses.

They have brought their vehicles from Haryana, Punjab, and Puducherry, and these are then given on rent,” said Chodankar.The operators complained that they have to install speed governors, GPS trackers, and pay commercial road tax and insurance as well, but private cars don’t have to comply with these norms.In March, the directorate of transport had announced a crackdown on unauthorised private vehicles operating as rent-a-cab services in Goa.