MAPUSA
The taxi policy row triggered sharp exchanges in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Monday, with the Opposition pressing the government during Question Hour over delays in scrapping the draft Goa taxi aggregator guidelines, which a majority of taxi operators have opposed.
Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said nearly 93 per cent of taxi drivers in the State had rejected the draft guidelines and questioned why the government had not withdrawn the proposal even after eight months.
Quoting figures from the objections and suggestions submitted to the government, Alemao said 3,802 taxi drivers had opposed the draft while only 290 supported it.
He also sought clarity on why separate rules were being framed for local taxis and app-based taxis and questioned why app-based taxi services were not required to operate with meters.
Responding during Question Hour, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the draft guidelines would automatically stand cancelled once the State notifies its new digital taxi policy.
“When the new digital taxi policy comes into effect, the earlier draft will automatically get scrapped,” Sawant said, seeking to address concerns raised by the Opposition.
Earlier, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho told the House that the government had already held consultations with taxi owners last week and clarified that only the State-run app GoaMiles and the proposed Goa Taxi App would be authorised platforms under the new system.
Godinho also said the government intends to standardise taxi fares and bring the sector under a digital platform to improve transparency and accountability.
“It is a question of saving tourism and Goa. The use of technology is crucial in today’s world. We want to bring a digital platform and adopt what is good for Goa,” he told the House.
He added that while most taxi unions supported the move, a small section of operators was attempting to create confusion among drivers. To address the concerns, the government has constituted a committee comprising representatives of taxi associations under the supervision of assistant directors to work out solutions within eight days.
The transport minister also claimed that resistance to app-based systems stemmed from reluctance among some operators to be accountable.
Highlighting the impact of app-based services, Godinho said the introduction of GoaMiles had significantly improved tax compliance among taxi operators. GST payments from the sector, he said, increased from Rs 39.9 lakh in 2018–19 to Rs 4.5 crore in 2025–26, with the total turnover reaching Rs 28.39 crore.
Meanwhile, Alemao also questioned why only ruling party MLAs were invited to the recent meeting with taxi owners while opposition legislators were kept out.
In response, Sawant said the meeting was only a preliminary consultation and assured the House that all Opposition MLAs would be taken into confidence before the final taxi policy is framed.
