The Hindu : Business : Tourist transport operators favour regulation to govern the industry

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Friday, Oct 07, 2005

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Tourist transport operators favour regulation to govern the industry

Staff Reporter

A new co-ordination committee has been formed to unify the activities

KOCHI: More than 200 members of the three associations representing the tourist transport industry in the State have demanded Government intervention and regulation of the market to weed out what industry sources have described as `unhealthy competition.'

George Scaria of the newly formed All Kerala Travel Operators' Co-Ordination Committee, said here on Wednesday that regulation of the market was necessary so that the tourist transport industry could reap the benefits of the boom in tourism.

He said that while the State Government gave due importance to the development of tourism a major industry, the tourist transport sector tended to be sidelined. The new co-ordination committee had been formed to unify the activities of the tourist transport operators, said Mr. Scaria.

He said the co-ordination committee represented the interest of the three associations in the tourist transport sector — All Kerala Contract Carriage Operators' Association (AKCCOA), Travel Operators' Association Of Kerala (TOAK) and City Travel Operators' Association (CTOA).

Mr. Scaria said the three associations had a total of 220 members across the State who were eager to streamline the tourist transport sector. The various associations could not implement the rates fixed for hiring of vehicles. This was largely due to the fact there was no uniform regulation governing the tourist transporting industry.

While ignorance of the customers too played a big role in the matter, Government intervention and an overview of the situation would help the industry flourish, he added. He also said that the tourist travel operations should be considered as part of the tourism industry.

Mr. Scaria said the increasing cost of operation and unhealthy competition had led to a situation where several operators feared losing their investments.

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