Goa's Aggregator Cab Guidelines Will Not Bring In Firms Like Ola, Uber: CM To Local Taxi Operators
Goa currently has two local aggregators - Goa Miles and Goa Taxi, which provide app-based service to customers.
Goa's draft guidelines for cab aggregators will not open doors for companies like Ola and Uber, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday.
BJP MLAs Michael Lobo from Calangute and Jit Arolkar from Mandrem met him in the presence of taxi operators to discuss concerns of the trade with regards to the Goa Transport Aggregators Guidelines 2025 issued on May 20. The last date to give suggestions and raise objections is June 30.
'Taxi operators need not be in any sort of confusion. They have apprehensions that the guidelines will open doors for the aggregators like Ola and Uber which are operating outside Goa. The guidelines do not aim to open flood gates for national cab aggregators like Ola and Uber," Sawant told reporters after the meeting.
Goa currently has two local aggregators – Goa Miles and Goa Taxi, which provide app-based service to customers.
The taxi operators in Goa want the state government to take them into confidence before finalising the guidelines as they believe big firms from outside the state may start aggregator cab businesses here, Arolkar said.
Lobo, meanwhile, said taxi operators want the government to keep the guidelines in abeyance.
'The issue was discussed with the chief minister who has assured that a meeting of MLAs representing constituencies in the coastal belt and all other stakeholders will be called before taking a final decision on the guidelines," Lobo said.
First Published:
June 14, 2025, 15:34 IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru bike taxi riders protest outside Vidhana Soudha to lift the ban, detained
Tension unfolded outside Vidhana Soudha on Saturday as a group of bike taxi riders staged a protest against the ongoing suspension of bike taxi operations in Karnataka. The protest, held without prior permission, led to the detention of several riders by city police. The bike-taxis in Bengaluru were banned due to non-availability of legal frame work. Also Read - BMTC launches express bus services and temple tours in Bengaluru. All you need to know The demonstrators gathered to press the state government for urgent intervention, demanding the revocation of the blanket ban and the introduction of a clear regulatory framework that would allow bike taxis to legally operate in the state. According to police, the riders were swiftly dispersed and taken into custody after assembling outside the state legislature building. A police case has been registered against the protestors for violating public assembly norms and attempting to hold a demonstration in front of Vidhana Soudha without official clearance. The protesting riders stressed that bike taxis are a lifeline for thousands, not only providing affordable transportation but also sustaining livelihoods across the city and beyond. They argued that, instead of banning the service altogether, the government should establish a well-defined set of rules to ensure both safety and accountability for operators and commuters alike. Also Read - Raids expose bars and pubs in Bengaluru using inappropriately dressed women, 19 establishments booked The protest comes in the backdrop of a recent decision by the Karnataka High Court, which upheld an earlier order suspending bike taxi services across the state. On April 2, a single-judge bench had ruled that bike taxis could not operate unless the state government framed specific guidelines under the Motor Vehicles Act. The order gave companies six weeks to comply, with the deadline later extended to June 15. Subsequently, Uber, Ola, and Rapido, the major app-based mobility companies, approached the court seeking relief. However, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar declined to grant any stay on the earlier directive, effectively reinforcing the suspension. (With agency inputs)
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
Noida businessman dies as cabbie ‘falls asleep' & rams car into truck on DND Flyway
Noida: A city businessman who had booked a cab to go to Delhi airport at dawn died after the driver allegedly fell asleep and crashed into a truck. Rakesh Kumar, CEO of TechnoConcept India Pvt Ltd, had booked an Uber at 4am on June 11 to reach IGI Airport for a flight to Bengaluru. But the car allegedly crashed into a stationary truck on the DND Flyway within minutes of the trip. Kumar died on the spot. The family of the 59-year-old businessman has now accused the ride-hailing company of negligence. They claimed the company neither alerted them about the accident nor flagged a long halt in the trip. They also said the app showed a different destination after the crash. According to his daughter, Shriti Arora, both she and her mother received a crash notification from his iPhone around 4am. "We initially didn't understand what it meant. My mother tried calling my father several times. There was no response. I checked his location, and it showed he was still on the DND flyover," she told TOI. They rushed to the spot and found the car mangled under the rear of a tempo truck near the MCD toll. Passersby informed them that a man was trapped inside. "We found my father unconscious in the car, with no pulse," Arora said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He was later declared dead at AIIMS Trauma Centre. The driver, Sudhir, who survived the crash, claimed a tyre burst led to the collision. But Arora said passersby told her the driver admitted he had fallen asleep. She has also shared photographs of the vehicle with all tyres intact with the police. One of the family's main grievances is Uber's silence. The company, they said, did not reach out after the accident. The app also displayed a destination change — from IGI Airport to AIIMS Trauma Centre — without explanation. The driver allegedly ended the trip around 11am, several hours after the crash. "The company should have noticed the unusually long halt," Arora said. "Instead, they did nothing until we went public on social media on June 15." Uber only responded after the family shared details of the incident online, eventually providing information about an insurance coverage. An FIR was filed at Delhi's Mayur Vihar Phase 1 police station under BNS sections 106 (causing death by negligence), a bailable offence, besides 281 (rash driving) and 125 (acts that endanger the life or personal safety of others due to rash or negligent behaviour). TOI tried to reach out to Uber but got no response.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
Sawant-headed GoM meets to analyse state GST trends
Panaji: The reconstituted group of ministers (GoM) formed to analyse the goods and services tax (GST) revenue is set to meet for the first time on Thursday. The GoM, headed by chief minister Pramod Sawant , will examine state-wise revenue trends and suggest sector-specific policy tweaks, said an official. This includes mapping revenue patterns across sectors and regions to identify anomalies or areas of concern, which may impact individual state revenues and the overall federal tax structure. In addition to regional revenue trends, the GoM will examine the influence of macroeconomic policy changes on GST collections. This includes an assessment of geographical and sector-specific factors, with special attention to the fiscal challenges faced by agrarian and smaller states. The mandate also covers an analysis of recent amendments made to the GST Act, rules, and notifications to understand their implications on revenue performance. The GoM will meet at the new Maharashtra sadan in New Delhi. The reconstituted GoM on 'analysis of revenue from GST' includes nine ministers from the states of Bihar (Samrat Chaudhary), Chhattisgarh (Om Prakash Choudhary), Gujarat (Kanubhai Desai), Andhra Pradesh (P Keshav), Maharashtra (Ajit Pawar), Punjab (Harpal Singh Cheema), Tamil Nadu (Thangam Thennarasu), and Telangana (M B Vikramarka). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brass Krishna Idols For Prosperity & Protection In Life Luxeartisanship Shop Now Undo 'The Centre and state should get their dues. Each state will give their views and will raise their doubts. After the first meeting, the GoM will call for data from all the states, Union territories, and technology partners to review details of revenue from inter-state transactions,' said an official from the state GST office. A committee of officers will be constituted to analyse the data and report to the GoM. As per the expanded terms of reference, the GoM can analyse the state-wise revenue collection trends and check for leakages, fair distribution of collected revenues, and the flow of GST. Based on the findings, the GoM is expected to submit concrete policy recommendations aimed at augmenting revenue. This includes suggesting course correction measures for states that are experiencing significant shortfalls in GST collections. 'We will be looking at railway cargo systems, customs bonded warehouses. The entire process is likely to take at least six months,' said an official. Local industry bodies such as the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, tax consultants, and other stakeholders will also be consulted in Goa. To strengthen enforcement, the GoM will review various anti-evasion and compliance tools developed independently by multiple agencies, including the NIC, GSTN, directorate general of analytics and risk management (DGARM), and state govts. The group will explore structural reforms and policy interventions necessary to stabilise and enhance the fiscal health of states where tax revenues are declining.
