MAPUSA
The All Goa Taxi Owners Association (AGTOA) reiterated its opposition to the Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines 2025 in Calangute, claiming that the guidelines were aimed at starting taxi aggregators in Goa and creating infighting among taxi owners.
Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, General Secretary of the All Goa Taxi Owners Association, Gangaram Phadke, said the local taxi operators have always opposed taxi aggregators in Goa and would continue to oppose them. “These are repeated attempts by the government to start taxi aggregators in Goa, while creating enmity and infighting among taxi owners,” said Phadke.
“Taxi aggregators are corporates and we do not want them to take over our business. We are capable of running our own individual taxi businesses. Taxi aggregators run their business by taking a commission from individual taxi drivers. Why should we pay commission?”
He claimed that taxi aggregators are acceptable for metro cities, while taxi operators in Goa operate from outside hotels, airports, and railway stations, from where any person who wants a taxi can hire it.
“Developing an app is expensive. If the transport department launches an app with the rates suggested by the government, we taxi operators are ready for it. Current apps are private and they do not have their own vehicles,” Phadke added.
AGTOA President Chetan Kamat, Vice-President Kundan Kerkar, Pidesh Simepurushkar, Sadanand Divkar, and other office-bearers were present at the news conference.
