Team Herald
MARGAO: Tensions escalated on Saturday as owners and drivers of tempos, buses, and taxis affiliated with private aggregators staged a protest at Colva police station. The demonstrators demanded action against a local taxi operator accused of assaulting and intimidating a Margao-based private aggregator driver who had arrived to pick up a guest from a hotel in Varca.
A video of the incident, corroborated by the police report, revealed that the accused threatened the driver with violence and vehicle damage if he proceeded with the trip. The situation intensified when the accused, along with another individual, physically blocked the driver's vehicle, preventing him from continuing his journey. The complaint further alleged that the driver was subjected to physical assault.
This incident marks the latest chapter in the ongoing conflict and clash of interests between the Margao group of taxi, bus, and tempo drivers and their counterparts from the Benaulim constituency. The Benaulim taxi owners and elected representatives have voiced concerns over what they perceive as encroachment by these aggregators on their traditional taxi stands located outside hotels.
In response, the aggregators maintain that they possess all necessary permits and assert the legality of their operations within the Benaulim constituency.