CM bans Ola & Uber in Goa, faces fury over 'taxi mafia' shield

CM Pramod Sawant’s decision to block Ola and Uber in Goa has triggered massive backlash.

Transcript

00:00Goa's tax feud just hit a new crescendo after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant slammed the door on Ola and Uber on June 14, 2025.

00:09The CM's announcement sparked outrage online.

00:12Tweets flooded in accusing Sawant of protecting the taxi mafia at the cost of the average tourist and citizen.

00:18Some even accused him of vote bank politics, protecting the taxi mafia at the cost of visitor convenience.

00:24One Redditor lamented, we are going back to the Stone Age.

00:27For your information, in May, Goa unveiled its transport aggregator guidelines for 2025,

00:32standardising fare charts, licensing Goa-registered vehicles and drivers and slapping violators with fines up to Rs 50 lakh.

00:39Almost immediately, over 1,600 objections poured in from taxi unions.

00:44Their message was blunt. Go on taxis, go on drivers and state-fixed fares only.

00:49They feared that Ola and Uber would drown out traditional operators.

00:52Then, on June 14, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant cut through the noise.

00:56These guidelines are only to regulate existing local aggregators, not to allow national players in.

01:02Goa's taxi mafia saga is far from new.

01:05For years, tourists have recounted facing unmetered taxis, inflated fares, turf wars and even physical threats from local drivers.

01:12Viral stories of overcharging and intimidation have long stoked public outrage.

01:17With the Chief Minister facing growing flak, the question remains,

01:20how long will this relentless taxi conflict continue to tarnish Goa's tourism appeal?

01:25Can the unions and governments step up, ensuring fair fares, adopting technology,

01:29training drivers and customer service and cracking down on any abuse or violence?

01:33What do you think?

01:34Let us know in the comments below.

01:35What do you think?

01:36Let us know in the comments below.