The Joshi family from Pune had only heard about theGoa carnival. But when they actually came to Goa last week to see one, all theyanimatedly discussed during the colourful parade was the Rs.2,000 they paid thecabbie for the ride from Calangute to Panaji - just 18 km.
"How can you say Goa is a great place for tourists when one is robbed bytaxi drivers every day? They don't even need guns to steal this kind ofmoney," said Utpal Joshi, whose family bargained its way through thecarnival week, haggling with cabbies instead of soaking in the fun.
A powerful lobby, which has failed to heed regulation and with muscle enough tobrowbeat political will, overcharging and unruly taxis are as much a bane totourism in Goa as the narcotics-festooned nightlife along the coastline.
No charge-by-meter, no rate cards, no uniform fares... taxis, the firstinterface with tourists, aren't exactly the best role models for the coastalstate famed for its beaches.
But taxi operations could soon be in the right 'lane' if one believes the freshnoises being made by tourism industry stakeholders and the ruling politicalestablishment.
"We need a tourist taxi policy. Metering of taxis is a must," anofficial of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), an authoritativevoice of Goa's tourism industry over the last three decades, told IANS, notwishing to be identified.
Officially, if you hire a cab, you need to pay Rs.14 for the first kilometreand Rs.12 for every subsequent kilometre. But in reality, most tourists, evenlocals, suffer the fate of the Joshi family by paying 10 times the officialfare, especially during peak season or festive times.
Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) president Manguirish Pai Raikarcalls it "getting away with murder".
"For years now taxi operators have got away with murder. Sometimes, foreven the smallest of distances within Panaji, they charge more than Rs 300,which is almost unreal," Raikar said.
"The government has to insist on meters. This is a tourist place, but thatdoes not mean you fleece them like this? Taxi drivers are supposed to be thebrand ambassadors of Goa, but they are the ones who virtually put the touristsoff the moment they land in Goa," he said.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has promised the industry to do something. Andsoon.
"I will see to it that anyone (taxi drivers) taking law in his own handswill be put behind bars... We are thinking of making meters compulsory,"Parrikar told a delegation of tourism industry stakeholders recently.
Attempts by the state transport department to install global positioning system(GPS) devices in cabs last year came a cropper after none of the 6,000-oddcabbies operating in Goa cooperated.
Whether Parrikar delivers his promise to rein in Goa's cabbies before the2013-14 tourist season remains to be seen.