GoaMiles queue system to prioritise local taxi stands

Panaji: App-based taxi aggregator GoaMiles is piloting technology that prioritises taxi stand operators for bookings through a queue-based system. This system ensures that drivers stationed the longest and closest to the customer receive rides first, while still integrating stand operators into the app. Founder and chief executive officer Utkarsh Dabhade said that incidents of threats and violence at key locations dropped nearly 35% in recent months, as ongoing dialogue with the taxi stands starts to turn the tide of opposition.

The local cab aggregator aims to ensure that concerns of traditional taxi operators are addressed. “I am making changes in the technology to solve this concern. They will get business. A queue-based system for the various taxi stands will give the booking to the taxi that was parked at the stand for the longest duration,” said Dabhade. He was talking to TOI in light of the recent video wherein a woman was trudging along the inner lanes of Varca with a companion, dragging suitcases and heavy bags for nearly a kilometre to reach her taxi. Her GoaMiles driver refused to come to her hotel gate over fears of being bashed up by local taxi operators.

Dabhade said the company increased daily passenger mobilisation from 12,000 to 20,000 this quarter and enrolled nearly 5,000 drivers. Driver enrolment was driven by the pension scheme, attracting operators who previously hesitated to join the platform. “This fight will be a never-ending one if no consensus is reached. The only way forward is to offer priority to taxi stands, provided they join the app,” he said.

Despite these efforts, a few taxi stands in Calangute, Baga, and Salcete continue to resist the app and allegedly threaten other operators from joining the service.

The queue-based system, already piloted at airports, railway stations, and other key locations, ensures that bookings go first to drivers who were parked at the stand around the hotel or transport hub. “Only if the taxi operators reject or ignore the bookings will the booking be shared with taxis at other nearby stands,” said Dabhade.

He said the real losers in conflicts between taxi operators and app-based services are hotels and Goa’s brand as a tourism destination.