NT Reporter
Panaji
The transport department has issued a fresh notification placing a ban on new permits under the rent-a-cab scheme, 1989, effective since February 24, 2025 citing concerns over road safety and increasing congestion on Goa’s roads.
This is not the first time such a freeze has been imposed. Authorities first initiated a ban on the licences for new rental cabs and bikes in 2019, when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced a three-year moratorium to ‘regulate the trade’ in light of a growing fleet of 27,600 bikes and 3,200 cabs already in operation.
That earlier restriction barred new permit issuance and even prohibited replacement vehicles once existing ones were scrapped.
Officials said the renewed ban paves the way for a revision of the rent-a-cab scheme—envisioning stricter vehicle fitness, digital permit tracking and staggered fee structures.
Notably, existing permits remain valid until expiry, and vehicle inspections will continue uninterrupted.
While the moratorium does not impact existing licences—which will continue to remain valid until their expiry—it effectively stalls the entry of new players into the rent-a-cab market.
The transport department has also clarified that renewals and vehicle fitness assessments for current permit holders will proceed as scheduled.
