Latest news with #GoaTransportAggregatorGuidelines
Scroll.in
15-06-2025
- Business
- Scroll.in
Goa's ‘taxi mafia': What tourists need to know
On Friday, after a fortnight of intense debate about draft guidelines on app-based taxis notified by Goa's transport department, Chief Minister Pramod Samant said that external cab giants such as Uber and Ola would not be allowed to operate in the state. Though the Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, offers a regulatory framework for app-based taxi and bike taxi operators, Samant said that it is 'meant to regulate the existing taxi system, not to permit new companies'. The controversy about the guidelines brings into focus the polarised opinions about the taxi system in a state that earns just over 16% of its revenues from tourism. The guidelines have been welcomed both by residents and tourists. They cite a variety of reasons for supporting app-based taxis: unregulated, inflated fares by Goan taxi operators, a shortage of vehicles when they are needed, the seemingly whimsical behaviour of taxi operators, among them. In fact, some have fixed the blame for what they believe is the decline of Goan tourism on the so-called taxi mafia. But the state's taxi drivers are up in arms. They oppose the idea of a business that they have built and sustained over years being handed over to large corporations. The Goa taxi mafia is behind this. They are just looting tourists. I was staying at a hotel in Varca, and here's their taxi fare chart. — Dr_SUMIT🇮🇳 (@Dr__Sumit) June 14, 2025 To understand fares are high in the state, it is essential to realise that the taxi business in Goa is not homogeneous. There are those who operate at airports, black-and-yellow taxis that run from railway stations, taxis that queue up outside hotels and the ones that wait for customers at designated taxi stands. These taxis pick up passengers from point A and drop them off at point B. It is an unwritten rule that after they drop off a passenger, they will not pick another ride as they return to their point of origin. This convention ensures that they do not step on the business of drivers at the other location. To make this practice viable, they build a 50% return fare into such trips. This reflects the cooperative nature of a business in which even one taxi operator's greed for rides outside his territory could break a chain of trust and impinge on the livelihood of others. Why do their rates appear higher than those of app-based aggregators in large cities? First, app-based aggregators do not operate on fair pricing models. Their rates are heavily subsidised by the venture capital they have at their disposal. They burn this cash to depress fares – and annihilate the local competition. Such predatory techniques allow them to eventually establish a monopoly. This coerces local cab drivers to sign up with these aggregators or forces them out of business altogether. Secondly, distances between destinations in Goa are longer than in most cities – but the journey often does not take quite as much time. For instance, when I travel from my home in Ponda to Panjim city, I cover the 30-km-odd distance in around 45 minutes. On a recent visit to Mumbai, I covered 8.5 km in 45 minutes. This could make me wonder why I am being charged Rs 1,200 for a 45-minute ride in Goa that would seem to cost Rs 500 in Mumbai. Goa's taxi mafia wins, tourists lose. BJP bows to union pressure, blocking Ola & Uber — just to protect vote banks. Progress shouldn't be held hostage by fear. Strong regulation is the way forward, not submission. #Goa #TourismCrisis #TransportReform #BJPFails #PublicVsMafia — Mahua Moitra Fans (@MahuaMoitraFans) June 14, 2025 It is also important to understand that in Goa, taxi fares vary according to both distance and type of vehicle. A seven-seater Ertiga cannot charge the same amount as a four-seater Wagon R. These rates are notified by the state transport department. Taxi owners have no say in deciding them. The lack of standardised fares is a failure of enforcement. The introduction of app-based aggregators will not necessarily bring in standardised fares precisely because these apps thrive on an unregulated pricing model. They enforce surge pricing, which means that in situations of high demand or adverse weather conditions, fares escalate substantially. Last month's guidelines make it mandatory for aggregators to pay the taxi drivers the fare notified by the transport department. Any commission and the profit for the aggregator will have to be levied on top of this fare. Unless the aggregator subsidises the fare, rides would actually become more expensive for customers. Amidst this discussion, what stands out is the characterisation of Goan taxi drivers as a 'taxi mafia'', a label that generates a preemptive bias towards them. Tourists often resent them because the drivers control their mobility. Some mistakenly believe that drivers want to sit idle through the day, making as few trips as they can but charging hefty fares to suffice for a day's earnings. This is a perception tourists develop as they observe drivers who operate outside hotels and resorts seemingly doing nothing as they wait for fares. Drivers follow a queue system and assign incoming requests serially to those in the line. There is no guarantee when their turn will come. Taxi operators say that getting even one trip a day is considered lucky. This waiting period makes it look like drivers are lazy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Imagine yourself in a situation where you have to provide for your family, pay monthly installments for a car loan, taxes and deductions of all kinds, and save for a rainy day. Add to that irregular working hours, rising inflation and the overall uncertainty that comes with unstable income. The last thing you would want to do is not work. Goa taxi drivers protest the entry of uber/ola. Many tourists avoid Goa just because of taxi mafia!! Thankfully, govt. is waking up and taking right measures. Tourism is the biggest employment generator. — Pvt. sector exploited tax payer (@TaxPayerPvt) June 1, 2025 What Goa's taxi drivers – many of them from Bahujan communities – have evolved is a cooperative model of doing business that is built around the community. These values are alien, and perhaps detrimental to capitalist methods of doing business. It is not that Goa does not have app-based aggregators already. There are at least two apps that are currently operating. They were handed a monopoly over the Goan taxi market on a platter. Predictably, these apps have failed because demand in Goa is not as intense as it is in large cities, and is unevenly distributed. The algorithms of the apps cannot adapt to Goa's humane ways of doing business.
Scroll.in
14-06-2025
- Business
- Scroll.in
Ola and Uber will not come to Goa, says CM Pramod Sawant
App-based cab services like Ola and Uber will not be allowed in Goa, said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday, reported The Indian Express. The announcement came after taxi operators in the state and some MLAs raised concerns about the Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines, which were published in the gazette on May 20. The guidelines outline the framework to regulate app-based taxi and bike taxi operators through licensing fees, tariffs and incentives. Taxi unions fear this will enable the entry of app-based cab services in the state. 'People should not create confusion,' Sawant was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. 'These are the guidelines brought out for aggregators. Ola and Uber are not coming here. We have to put a system in place.' The Goa chief minister added that the government would 'take all the stakeholders – taxi owners, hoteliers and MLAs – everyone into confidence' to resolve the matter. The state transport department had invited feedback and objections to the guidelines within 30 days, The Indian Express reported. On June 9, hundreds of taxi drivers submitted formal objections at the department's Panaji office. Scroll has previously reported on the state government's efforts to introduce app-based taxis, which were met with protests. Taxi unions argue that the conflict over app-based services boils down to a question of employment for locals and that allowing large corporations with deep pockets to launch services in the state will result in 'outsiders' taking away jobs from the locals.
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Business Standard
14-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
'No Ola, Uber in Goa', says CM Sawant as coastal MLAs seek policy pause
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced on Friday that app-based cab giants Ola and Uber will not come to the state, even though the state has just released the draft 'Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines, 2025' for public feedback. MLAs from the coastal belt urged the government to keep the new guidelines 'in abeyance' until a comprehensive, operator-'friendly taxi system is ready. They argued that any policy must first establish uniform fares and protect local livelihoods, the Times of India reported. Sawant convened a meeting with coastal legislators Michael Lobo and Jit Arolkar, along with representatives of taxi operators, to allay fears. 'There should be no confusion among the people as it is just a guideline for aggregators. Ola and Uber will not come here. We will take all stakeholders, including hotels, taxis and MLAs, into confidence to put a system in place. We will resolve this issue. All should remain calm,' the chief minister said. Last month, the Goa government released a draft version of the Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, proposing a regulatory structure for app-based taxi and bike taxi services. The draft covers aspects such as licensing charges, fare structures, and incentives for operators. However, taxi unions across the state have strongly opposed the move, warning that it could open the door for private app-based aggregators and jeopardise the livelihoods of local taxi drivers. Arolkar, speaking after the meeting, said the primary aim was to dispel taxi drivers' worries about outside competition. 'During the meeting, it was decided to have equal taxi fares across the state,' he said. Local control over taxi business Michael Lobo reiterated that the taxi trade must stay in Goan hands. 'We have demanded that the guidelines should be kept in abeyance. We want taxi operators' issues to be addressed systematically. There should be no bargaining while hiring a taxi. Tourists should leave with good memories. Customers should know the exact rate. We want the taxi business to remain with locals only,' he said, as quoted by the news report. Lobo added that although fares should not be set arbitrarily, a common structure acceptable to all operators is necessary. 'All taxi operators will agree to this, and there will be another meeting to resolve the issue,' he said. Taxi operators lobby MLAs Since the transport department invited objections and suggestions on the draft rules, taxi unions have begun meeting MLAs in every constituency, seeking political backing to block the entry of aggregator platforms and safeguard local drivers' interests. The government, meanwhile, insists it will not finalise any policy changes without first reaching a consensus among taxi owners, legislators, hoteliers, and other stakeholders.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Goa CM says no to Ola, Uber—for now
Following pressure from coastal belt MLAs, Goa CM Pramod Sawant Friday said cab aggregators like Ola and Uber will not be allowed in the state, even as state govt notified the draft Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines , 2025, seeking objections and suggestions. Coastal belt MLAs said state governmen t should keep guidelines in abeyance and put a system in place for taxi operators . The MLAs said govt should establish a system for equal taxi fares . Sawant said all stakeholders will be taken into confidence before making any decision on cab aggregators. He held a meeting with coastal belt MLAs, including Michael Lobo and Jit Arolkar, and taxi operators. "There should be no confusion among people... We will take all stakeholders, including hotels, taxis, and MLAs, into confidence to put a system in place. We will resolve this issue," he said. Arolkar said the purpose of the meeting is to address the fear among taxi operators that cab aggregators will come to Goa. Lobo said: "We have demanded that the guidelines be kept in abeyance."
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Goa CM Pramod Sawant says no entry for Ola, Uber cab services in state
Panaji: Following pressure from coastal belt MLAs, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that cab aggregators like Ola and Uber will not be allowed in Goa, even as state govt notified the draft Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, seeking objections and suggestions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Coastal belt MLAs said that state govt should keep the guidelines in abeyance and put a system in place for taxi operators. The MLAs said that govt should establish a system for equal taxi fares. Sawant said that all stakeholders will be taken into confidence before making any decision on cab aggregators. He held a meeting with coastal belt MLAs, including Michael Lobo, Jit Arolkar and taxi operators. 'There should be no confusion among the people as it is just a guideline for aggregators. Ola and Uber will not come here. We will take all stakeholders, including hotels, taxis and MLAs, into confidence to put a system in place. We will resolve this issue. All should remain calm,' the CM said. Arolkar said that the purpose of the meeting was to address the fear among taxi operators that cab aggregators like Ola and Uber will come to Goa. 'During the meeting, it was decided to have equal taxi fares across the state,' he said. Lobo said, 'We have demanded that the guidelines should be kept in abeyance. We want taxi operators' issues to be addressed systematically. There should be no bargaining while hiring a taxi. Tourists should leave with good memories. Customers should know the exact rate. We want the taxi business to remain with locals only.' Lobo said that locals should run the taxi business and there should be no external control over them. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He said that taxi operators should not set fares arbitrarily, but they should be equal. 'All taxi operators will agree to this, and there will be another meeting to resolve the issue.' Since govt invited objections and suggestions from the public regarding the taxi aggregator guidelines, taxi operators are meeting MLAs of each constituency and demanding their support to oppose the operation of taxi aggregators in the state.
