Poinguinim: Former Karwar MLA Satish Sail, together with a group of 100 tourist taxi drivers from Karwar district in Karnataka, have demanded exemption from the Goa authorities of producing Covid-negative certificates at the border, on the lines of the exemption given to drivers of vehicles carrying essential commodities into Goa. They have also threatened to stop all essential supplies coming from Karnataka to Goa if their demand is not met in the next few days.

The delegation arrived at the Polem checkpost in Canacona on Tuesday evening and had a discussion with some police officials with regard to the demand for a negative RT-PCR certificate at the gate each time tourist taxi drivers from Karwar enter Goa. Sail said it was impossible for taxi drivers from Karwar to get a negative RT-PCR certificate every 72 hours and that most are uncertain of ferrying passengers to Goa, most of whom seek to go to the Margao railway station or Dabolim airport.

Sail challenged the authorities at the Polem checkpost to prove that all the vehicles that were lined up to enter Goa had valid RT-PCR reports. He pointed out that drivers transporting essentials like milk, fish, meat and vegetables are just checked with a thermal gun and allowed into Goa. The former MLA threatened to sit at the Polem checkpost along with the taxi drivers and not allow any vehicle to cross either side if their demand was not met.