In Goa; Either you surrender to Taxi Mafia or Surrender your comfort and safety!
The death of a 26 Year old Woman at ZuariNagar from Delhi, highlights how Tourists are willing to risk their lives; rather than to pay exorbitant Taxi Fares.
Yesterday afternoon, a young married couple from Delhi, while proceeding towards Airport with luggage, had an accident, in which tragically, a woman lost life, while coming under a vehicle which was proceeding the same way, behind their vehicle.
Why Tourists are forced to hire Scooters from Airports?
Peak Tourist Season 2023-24 has started and already there has been a couple of tragic accidents, claiming life of innocents. The yesterday’s accident was one of them, when a couple on their way to catch their flight way back home, met with an accident and the wife died.
Imagine, having to suffer such a tragic fate of no fault of theirs, after finishing their short vacation?
Is there anyone to blame or not?
The Transportation in Goa for general public, for both local and tourists is heavily broken.
When we mean “Transportation” what essentially we mean are the modes of transportation, while there is no doubt that infrastructure to carry such a huge load has almost crumbled. Those are the roads and precarious highways ruled by Cattles of all shapes and sizes.
The most ironical thing is that, people are able to afford flights from Delhi, during peak season, but find the Taxi Fares so obnoxious, that they are willing to take chances with their lives, on the roads of Goa.
And when these people die, it is called an accident; and not a MURDER.
When you arrive for a short vacation at Goa with your loved ones, the comfort and safety are the two paramount things on your mind. In some instances, both Comfort and Safety are intertwined. And, there is always a trade-off!
For Eg: How do you commute from one place to another?
The interesting thing to ponder and most important, is that what forces the people to trade-off “safety” with “comfort”. It is basically, what entire MicroEconomics is all about, the study of “Trade-Off!”.
What is bewildering is that, what forces local tourists, to give up both “Safety” and “Comfort” entirely, in favour of a cheaper; but very hazardous option!
This is not “Trade-Off”, but “Surrender”. Surrendering to the circumstances prevailing in the place. Usually, this would happen, in a place of “anarchy”; where you have no other option, where you can’t even make a trade-off!
This is what is happening in Goa with local tourists, who find the “Taxi Fares” so obnoxious and unpalatable, that they are willing to take a risk with their lives, travelling on the highways, with luggage on two-wheeler; instead of paying for a Taxi; which is gazillion times more safe, as well as comfortable.
What is this behaviour?
This is being the essence of a REBEL, saying “F*** YOU!” in capital letters. Telling the Taxi guys, that, we still have an option; even though highly uncomfortable and unsafe. We would rather take that, than bow to your dictated prices.
Whatever which could be said about the “Taxi Mafia” and “Taxi Fares” would be like a molehill, in front of a mountain; a mountain of mess, belligerence and arrogance ; compiled with absolute apathy.
Just recently, a couple of months back, even the Chief Minister of Goa echoed the same sentiments. But, nothing has changed, and it resulted in the death of an innocent yesterday.
In Delhi-NCR; now one can reach airport of Delhi, from anywhere via Metro; unless you are not travelling with too much of luggage in great comfort and safety; while paying almost nothing if you have the monthly pass for that route; for that matter, it is almost nothing, if compared to local Taxi Fare.
When these Tourists come to Goa, the Taxi Fares are so exhorbitant that, that it is bordering abhorrent and forces people to risk their lives.
So, are the Tourists to blame, to put their lives on risk, while commuting on two-wheelers with their luggage. And it is a highly common sight now.
While beckoning Tourists from all over the world on one pretext or another (read festival); the pain points of a Tourists are thrown underground, and no one is bothered about it.
Tourists have only “two” say, after they arrive in Goa; where they plan to stay and where they want to eat. For rest everything, they are at the mercy of elements (read: humans). Notwithstanding, many have a bad experience in those two choices, as well, but we would not talk about it here.
Local Taximen agitate almost all round the year on one pretext or another.
Government instead of talking sense in them, have education classes on etiquette and manner.
While the status quo for Tourists, remains the same and gets worser as the Season progresses.
While travelling from a port (airport, railways station or bus stand) to and fro easily and comfortably, with a safe mode is the most logical primary requirement for a “Great” Tourist destination; in Goa; it is all about surrender.
Either you surrender to the “demands” of Taxi Mafia; or you surrender your comfort and safety!
This is when Hinterland Tourism and Adventure Tourism etc has not yet started; the destination of which are based way deep inside and far. Is Goa going to excite Tourists from all over to these new avenues, in this manner?
Pay equivalent to Air-Fare for To-and-fro transport from airport or you are on your own!
APATHY runs always both ways, it does start one way initially, but over a period of time; it starts running both ways.
If Goa is totally apathetic towards the safety and comfort of Tourists; local and international alike; soon the time of reckoning would come; where people would stop coming.
But, going by the behaviour of state government and local bodies; no one is bothered; even though anxious every moment about the progress of current tourist situation; as well as for the next.
A 26 Year old woman, just married should not have died getting crushed under another vehicle; while returning home, on the way to airport. Just because, her conscience did not allow to pay for exorbitant fares of Taxi Mafia of Goa.