Taxi operators received temporary relief at Manohar International Airport, Mopa, on Tues day after Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant intervened in the escalating dispute over vehicle entry and waiting-time restrictions imposed by airport opera tor GMR. Following the interven tion, taxi unions said GMR has allowed a five-minute free window for pick-up and drop-off, easing the earlier two-minute limit that had triggered wide spread resentment among drivers. However, the op erators made it clear that the relaxation is only an interim measure and reit erated their demand for a minimum 10-minute wait ing period. Earlier in the day, taxi operators converged out side the Chief Minister’s residence at Altinho to flag what they described as the ‘entry fee’ issue at Mopa airport. Heavy police de ployment was in place as a precautionary measure. Addressing reporters af ter the meeting, Sunil Naik, president of the North and South Goa Taxi Union (NS GTU), said the gathering was not a protest but an at tempt to highlight the con cerns of nearly 22,000 taxi operators across the State. “We want 10 minutes for taxis and 15 minutes for buses. Earlier, there were no issues; the problem has started now. We are happy that the earlier condition of picking up pas sengers within two minutes has been relaxed to five min utes, but this is only a temporary relief. We will continue to demand 10 minutes, as other airports allow up to eight minutes,” he said. Taxi drivers across Goa have strongly objected to GMR’s revised regulations, under which vehicles are reportedly charged Rs 210 if they exceed the stipulated waiting time of 2–5 minutes in the pick-up zone. Drivers argue that the limit is impractical, citing delays caused by flight arrivals, passenger coordination, luggage handling and security procedures. They contend that the rule effectively penal ises taxi operators for factors beyond their control and threatens their livelihoods. According to union leaders, when these concerns were placed before the Chief Minister, he assured them that the five-minute waiting window would remain in force for the time being. He also directed officials to examine complaints regarding the number of speed breakers inside the airport premises, which drivers say further slows vehicle move ment. The operators urged the government to formally rec ognise them as stakeholders in future meetings with GMR so they can directly present operational issues. The agitation had earlier gathered momentum at Col vale, where a large number of taxi drivers assembled de manding an immediate rollback or further relaxation of the waiting-time restrictions. After police intervention, a 15-member delegation of taxi operators was escorted to Mopa airport to hold discussions with GMR officials. Taxi unions warned that the agitation would be intensified, in cluding possible disruption of airport transport services, if their demands remain unaddressed. GMR officials had not issued an official response until the time of filing this report. The dispute has also drawn scrutiny from the State gov ernment. Recently, the Goa government served a show cause notice on GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) over alleged irregularities in the collection of vehi cle entry charges at Mopa airport. The notice refers to the concession agreement signed in November 2016 between the Airports Authority of India and GGIAL for the develop ment of the greenfield airport under a public-private part nership model. As per the agreement, vehicles are permitted to use the terminal approach road without any fee if they halt for up to two minutes during peak hours and up to five minutes during off-peak hours. However, the government has alleged that on December 23, 2025, GGIAL levied charges on vehi cles that stopped at the arrival or departure terminals for as little as two seconds, terming the practice an “abuse” of the concession terms. The Directorate of Civil Aviation has directed GGIAL to submit its reply within seven days, failing which legal ac tion may be initiated against the airport operator
Taxi operators get temporary relief at Mopa airport
