Tourists from Karnataka fined Rs. 10,262 upon entering Goa. This was because they had not procured a special permit required to cross into Goan territory. Taxi drivers reportedly could not obtain special permits as RTOs were closed for Ambedkar Jayanti and Good Friday.
Around 40 taxis stopped at the Mollem checkpost in Goa since last Thursday. The special permit, which normally costs Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 can be bought at RTOs in Bengaluru and other parts of the state. Reports said that issuing special permits to grant entry into Goa has been stopped.
Karnataka is yet to adopt the method of issuing special permits online for tourists crossing the Goa-Maharaja border. Instead, tourists are forced to layout big amounts of fines to go on with their planned vacations. Reports suggest that the fines become larger for bigger vehicles such as vans and tourist buses.
The transport department has already started issuing special permits to state vehicles online but there is no connectivity at check-posts. An official from the department told media that the issue will be resolved. Currently, the State Transport authority issues special permits in Bengaluru and RTOs in other districts.
