Goa tourist coaches back in business

PANJIM: Tourists in Goa will no longer be hassled by travel agents, or for that matter, taxi operators. The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has ruled that all tourist coaches will be allowed to carry on their business and other related activities all seven days a week.

For many years now, there���s been a clash of interests between taxi operators and tour coaches in Goa, as the former had been demanding that tourist coaches not be allowed to ply on Wednesdays and Fridays. Taxi operators also wanted to prevent tour coaches from operating near beaches and five-star hotels, as this ���affects their business���.

The tussle between the two bodies reached a flashpoint last year when taxi operators went on a strike and decided against operating from near the hotels. Even in some cases, tour coaches were barred on Wednesdays and Fridays, forcing people to turn to other viable options to reach their destinations, creating much hardship for them.

���It���s our fundamental right to do business. This ruling will boost tourism in the state,��� said Ralph D���Souza, chairman, Tour and Transporters Association of Goa (TTAG). According to official records, Goa has close to 5,000 taxi operators, along with 16 major and 50 minor tour agencies, functioning in the state.

Since for a small state like Goa these numbers make up a substantial chunk, the ultimate result was an unsavoury stand-off between the two parties.

Disposing of a writ petition filed in this regard by TTAG against the state government, the high court made it clear that the tourist business can be carried out by all those having requisite permits. It, however, asked the state government to maintain law and order situation.