Uber, Rapido Eye Goa as Draft Rules Signal Green

The guidelines may intensify competition with local players such as Goamiles

- Sakshi Sadashiv

NEW DELHI: Ride-hailing platforms are preparing to enter Goa, a market they have long coveted but struggled to gain access due to resistance from local taxi unions. Now, the state's newly released Transport Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, could finally change that.

The draft guidelines, published last week by the Goa government, lay out a formal regulatory framework for app-based taxi and bike taxi operators. It includes licensing conditions, fare regulations, driver payment timelines and crucially, mandates that the entire fare be paid directly to drivers, effectively banning platform commissions.

The move marks a shift from informal control to structured regulation in one of India's most tourism-dependent states.