Panaji: Armed with a raft of demands and blaming the government and the travel and tourism industry, the tourist taxi operators of Goa will meet chief minister Manohar Parrikar with the condition that they will install digital meters only if their demands are met. Though the taxi operators said they were not averse to installing the meters, they would do so only if their demands are met.Hours after the high court had directed the state government to finalise the standards for digital meters within two weeks, the taxi operators had rushed to Parrikar but the meeting remained inconclusive."Our most important demand is to stop the illegal practice of renting private vehicles," North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners' Association vice-president Ravindra V Vengurlekar said."This has affected our business. We have been demanding action against these operators for a while, but nothing has been done," Vengurlekar said.He also blamed the government for displaying the notified fares at public places, hotels and bus stands. "Why is the government reluctant to do it? If fare charts are displayed at prominent places, then tourists will know the disparity charged by us and them (travel operators' association). Tourists would prefer us," Vengurlekar said.They also said there were some practical difficulties like repairing facility for the meters. "Currently, there is nobody in Goa who can repair taxi meters," South Goa Tourist Taxi Owners' Association general secretary Rock Fernandes said.A revision in taxi fare is what they want, while they said speed governors should not be made mandatory in vehicles.

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