PANAJI
The State government on Monday stepped in to block the services of app-based taxi aggregator Uber from operating in the State two days after the latter launched its services from the two airports here.
A formal complaint was lodged with the Goa police’s cybercrime cell for operating without any official sanction or information to the Transport Department.
The complaint filed officially by the Transport Department has asked that Uber’s service in Goa be blocked and to also take legal action under the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Transport Director Rajan Satardekar had earlier said that the Uber company has not taken any licences from the Transport Ministry for the app-base taxi service even as he has come across evidence that it is providing this service in Goa.
Satardekar had also said that legal action will be taken against the company and accordingly the complaint was filed on Monday.
In its complaint, the transport department has asked the police to “block” Uber’s service in Goa besides initiating action under the IT laws.
Last weekend, there were reports that Uber, which already provides app-based taxi services in other Indian States, had launched the service in Goa too. Initially, the app service had been made available from the airports -- Dabolim and the new Manohar International Airport at Mopa.
The introduction of app-based taxi aggregator services has been a controversial issue in Goa with local taxi unions, who are strongly opposed to it, even resorting to violent agitations and even physical intimidation and assault of the drivers.
