North Goa rent-a-cab operators want extension over 12-year permit rule

Panaji: North Goa’s Rent-a-Cab operators sought an urgent meeting with chief minister Pramod Sawant to challenge the 12-year permit expiry rule.

As on date, there are 10 Rent-a-Cab licence holders in the state. All of them have permits issued in their own name, in accordance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Rent-a-Cab Scheme, 1989. As per the scheme, an applicant must maintain not less than 50 motor cabs. The operators said they face uncertainty as the directorate of transport stopped renewing expiring permits and is no longer issuing fresh ones. With permits capped at 12 years and no renewal mechanism in place, many fear they will be forced out of business once their licences lapse.


“Many of us applied for permits in 2018 and would like to continue in this line. However, the move to stop issuing permits could leave hundreds of families without livelihoods in a few years,” North Goa’s Rent-a-Cab Association president Nitesh Chodankar told TOI.

Currently, operators earn up to Rs 800 per day for renting out a manual vehicle and up to Rs 1,200 per day for automatic vehicles, depending on the model and demand. Luxury vehicles fetch between Rs 3,000 and 4,000 per day.

Their attempt to meet the director of transport on Thursday to discuss the issue proved unsuccessful.

Transport director Pravimal Abhishek declined to comment on the matter.

The decision to stop issuing fresh permits was taken at a State Transport Authority (STA) meeting held on Feb 24, 2024, in a bid to enhance road safety. Rent-a-Cabs were involved in nine accidents in 2024 and another nine in 2025. Subsequently, a public notice was issued directing applicants not to submit new applications for permits, stating that “such applications will not be processed” at this stage.