The State government’s confidence in finding acceptance of the draft Digital Taxi Policy suffered a setback, with the taxi operators still raising concerns over a host of issues. Yet again, the ambition to modernise the sector has hit another roadblock as the government had to retreat to the boardroom. It has decided to form a committee to examine suggestions and objections. A four-member panel under the Transport Department will gather feedback from taxi associations and submit a report before a follow-up meeting.
It may be recalled that the government was forced to scrap the controversial aggregator guidelines in August 2025, three months after they were unveiled, after operators punched holes and raised a series of objections - livelihood insecurity, geographical disadvantages, the fading identity of Goa’s traditional taxi business, commission concerns, network inconsistencies, existing competition fears, and the list goes on. While the Tourism Minister states that most of the fears have been addressed, it appears that protesting taxis are steadfast.
The government, while scrapping the draft rules, promised to rework the draft with stakeholder consultations and an inclusive process. What is now seen is that some of the old issues continue to haunt. The taxi owners are demanding the scrapping of the existing app-based services — Goa Miles and Goa Taxi App. Can the government agree to such a demand? Some of the other concerns, which surfaced again, are uniform fares across Goa and transparency in fares. How much can this discussion be stretched?
Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho well understands that taxi operators have been resorting to rigid posturing, thanks to the tacit political support they enjoy. One of the fundamental mistakes in the current approach is the lack of proactive stakeholder engagement during the drafting phase. The government should have conducted comprehensive consultations before finalising the draft. Striking a consensus at this stage looks reactive and will push the government again on the back foot. The government does not have the wherewithal to bulldoze its way through.
The taxi issue has been hanging loose for several years despite the tough talk by departments, and it appears that the approach lacks a clear communication strategy. Instead of engaging with stakeholders and showing urgency, it took the government over seven months to come out with another draft, that too with a lot of unticked boxes. Interestingly, the transport minister said the government was not rushing with the policy and would continue discussions with stakeholders. He said taxi operators are important stakeholders and ambassadors of tourism, and that his department is listening to their grievances and would refine the draft policy accordingly. Now, that’s a huge change of heart.
It is obvious that the taxi lobby will keep bargaining and keep pushing boundaries, but it is for the government to draw the line. Ignoring their concerns will not only alienate these operators but also risk creating a fragmented, inefficient system that defeats the purpose of digitisation. For the policy to succeed, it must move beyond token consultations and foster genuine dialogue, addressing core grievances such as fare transparency and fair competition.
