PANAJI
With little progress on resolving the long-standing taxi aggregator deadlock, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stepped in to handle the situation. The party’s state core committee, recognising the growing unrest and lack of agreement, has set up an 11-member committee led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to find a practical solution.
The BJP core committee, which met on Monday evening, discussed the ongoing tussle between the government and taxi operators over app-based transport aggregators. The committee felt strongly that the government must understand the concerns of local taxi operators before making any decision.
The panel will submit its report to the government and the party for a final decision.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, BJP state president Damu Naik said the committee has been asked to understand the concerns of taxi operators while ensuring public convenience and protecting stakeholder interests. “It is not that the party stepped in because the government failed; it was a unanimous decision,” he said.
“It is important for us to know exactly what problems the taxi operators are facing. The panel will meet taxi operators, along with local MLAs, to understand their concerns. We need to remember that taxi operators are the backbone of our economy,” Naik added.
Taking a dig at IAS officers, Naik said many of them often fail to understand Goa’s ground realities. “They try to compare Goa with Mumbai or Bangalore, but the situations are different. Many IAS officers think our taxi operators make huge profits, but the truth is many struggle to afford even their daily meals,” he said.
Naik said any decision on taxis will be made to ensure both taxi operators and tourism do not suffer. “Our taxi operators are not like those in other states who work 24x7. Here, they work as per their need,” he added.
In May, the government released draft ‘Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines, 2025’, outlining regulations for app-based taxi and bike taxi operators, including licensing fees, tariffs and incentives. While tourism stakeholders have supported the guidelines, taxi unions across the state have strongly objected.
