Taxi owners in Calangute-Candolim belt not in favour of resumption of flights, trains

Calangute: Taxi owners in the Calangute-Candolim belt said the resumption of flights and trains is not a healthy move and should have been deferred at least till the coronavirus count reduces.

Speaking to TOI, vice-president of North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association (NGTTOA), Ravindra Vengurlekar, said, “I don’t think anybody will operate their taxis .

A taxi driver has to also handle the luggage of passengers, so it becomes very easy for them to get infected by the virus. Why would any taxi driver unnecessarily jeopardise his and his family’s health? It is better to manage with whatever we have than to die,” he said.

Vengurlekar said that as per their understanding the coronavirus remains on clothes and in the air for 24 hours, while on plastic and other surfaces it remains for three days.

“We have discussed this and we think the government should not allow flights and trains. No tourists will come, only coronavirus will come,” he said, referring to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in Goa, all of which are people who have come from outside the state.

The NGTTOA also wants the plans to restart tourism deferred until the situation improves, Vengurlekar said. “If hotels are opened, they will be flooded with tourists from Delhi and Mumbai, and then the virus could spread and cause havoc,” he said, adding that the government can think about restarting tourism when the cases start reducing.