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Goa Opens Draft App-Taxi Guidelines, Drawing Support and Union Pushback

The state is soliciting public comments on regulations promising driver protections, designed to address tourist complaints.

Overview

  • The draft Transport Aggregator Guidelines, 2025 are open for public feedback until June 30.
  • Aggregators must guarantee drivers the government-prescribed fare for every journey and settle payments within 72 hours or incur a 25% penalty on delayed payouts.
  • Rules mandate at least ₹10 lakh in health insurance with a 5% annual increment and extend coverage to female drivers’ parents and children.
  • Penalties include ₹50 lakh fines and blacklisting for unlicensed operations and ₹5 lakh fines for each fare regulation breach.
  • Local taxi unions say the measures threaten Goan operators’ livelihoods, while Rapido and Uber praise the framework for boosting transparency.