Tourists warned as Goa taxi protest turns violent in popular winter sun destination
UK travellers are being asked by the FCO to avoid areas of Goa where protests are taking place following a taxi strike which turned violent.
Taxi drivers have kept their vehicles off the roads in the popular winter sun destination since Monday in a protest over a new private taxi operator, called Olacabs.
The FCO updated its travel advice for tourists in Goa due to the strike, which saw around 7,000 taxi drivers gathering to oppose the state government.
The FCO says the taxi strike is affecting travel in and around Goa, including on the road to the airport and around major hotels
The advisory says the strike is affecting travel in and around Goa, including on the road to the airport and around major hotels.
UK tourists have been asked to avoid areas where protests are reported to be taking place and to adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities, as well as to allow more time than usual to travel to the airport.
The trouble began on Monday evening when tourist taxi operators blocked traffic at several places including Mandovi bridge in Panaji and Siolim bridge in North Goa.
The taxi strike turned violent when a huge crowd of taxi operators gathered at Porvorim on the national highway in north Goa, blocked the highway.
Calangute and Baga also witnessed incidents with taxi drivers resorting to violence, The Times of India reported. It added that no violent clashes were reported on Tuesday thanks to heavy deployment of police forces at various tourist spots.
The trouble began on Monday evening when tourist taxi operators blocked traffic at several places including Mandovi bridge in Panaji and Siolim bridge in North Goa
The strike by taxi operators, who are the lifeline of tourism trade in Goa, has kept some tourists stranded in their hotels.
Vice president of North Goa Tourist Taxi Association Ravindra Vengurlekar said that Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar has called the representatives of north and south Goa taxi owners' associations for talks to resolve their grievances including their opposition to Olacabs.
Travel agents in the country believe that tourism in Goa has been severely affected by the strike.
Some hotels had bookings cancelled, and industry stakeholders fear of losing more business in the coming days if the agitation by the taxi operators is not called off.
'There is no doubt that such agitations, if they continue, will have negative effects on the tourism industry. This is putting tourists to great hardship and word will be carried back home that Goa is not a destination to choose for a holiday, said Shyam Haridas, a partner at Water Splash Cruises in Panaji.
The strike follows soon after the announcement that, in a bid to boost tourism and business, the Indian government is launching a visa-on-arrival scheme for visitors from 180 countries, including the UK.
The scheme is expected to be rolled out by October, in time for India's peak tourist season. It will allow holidaymakers to pick up a 30-day visa at the airport upon arrival.
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