PANAJI
Nearly five months after the State Transport Authority (STA) decided to enforce a complete freeze on new rent-a-cab permits, the Transport department on Thursday issued official notification, bringing the decision into force with retrospective effect from February 24, 2025.
The rampant growth of rent-a-cabs in the State had prompted a decisive crackdown with STA during its meeting in March, deciding not to grant any new permits or licences under the rent-a-cab scheme.
The department in a notification issued has said that the move aims to prevent overcrowding and road safety.
In the current year till March 17, out of 3,438 permits granted across various categories, 359 were issued for rental cabs alone.
In February, the department had imposed strict guidelines tightening the noose around the alleged illegal operations of the rent-a-cab operators. The directive mandated that rental cars must operate solely from registered office premises. It warned that licences of violators operating from public spaces, such as airports and railway stations, would be suspended immediately.
In recent years, the unchecked growth of rent-a-cab vehicles has led to increasing traffic congestion, and a rise in road accidents. Last year, total four fatal accidents involving these vehicles were reported thus prompting serious crackdown.
