Goa to Phase Out Mahindra Thar as Rental Car? State Transport Minister Submits Proposal

It might soon become tough to find a Mahindra Thar to rent in Goa, if the State Transport Authority approves new measures restricting the approval of new rental licences for the rugged SUV. The ban has been proposed by state transport minister Mauvin Godinho, in response to a recent spate of accidents reportedly involving this specific model and its larger counterpart, the Thar Roxx. The measure is just one of several proposals aimed at improving overall road safety across Goa.

Godinho chaired a meeting of state Transport Department officials on Tuesday morning, at which new safety initiatives and law enforcement measures were discussed. In a statement on social media, he said “We also reviewed proposals to regulate high-risk rent-a-car Thar vehicles, which will be placed before the State Transport Authority for consideration.”

Moreover, the minister promised to take immediate action against rental car drivers involved in major accidents, as well as the owners or operators of the vehicles involved. Commercial and rental use of unauthorised private vehicles will also be cracked down on, and specific parking rules for rentals will also be considered.

No action has been taken on the proposal yet, but it will come up for a vote at the next State Transport Authority meeting.

The Mahindra Thar and Thar Roxx are popular rental cars across many parts of India, because of their off-roading ability as well as their overall versatility, power, and road presence. However, it is unclear what data the Government of Goa has used to determine that they are more of a safety risk than any other model.

Interestingly, Goa proposed a sweeping set of regulations in 2023 which would have forced all car and bike rental operators in the state to offer only electric vehicles starting from 2024, though this was not implemented. Multiple attempts to allow taxi aggregator services such as Uber and Ola to operate in the state have also not passed, protecting the local taxi and rental economy.

Additional road safety measures proposed in Goa

Other proposals discussed at the meeting include expanding the use of AI and traffic camera networks, speed governor devices fitted in vehicles, and location tracking devices to improve overall safety. According to the minister, a pilot test of AI traffic cameras at 26 locations across the state resulted in over 56,500 traffic violations being detected in one day, with warnings generated and issued on the spot. The network will expand to 52 locations by September, with 90 locations planned by December. Warnings will be issued till July 15, after which challans will be generated on the spot and enforcement will begin.

According to local news outlet Goa News Hub, the state’s Rent-a-Car Association President Nitesh Chodankar supports the new measures, including the proposal to restrict the Mahindra Thar as a rental. However, he was quick to state that tourists driving rentals, rather than Goa's own cab drivers, are much more likely to drive when intoxicated and break other traffic rules.

Goa govt launches Majhe App for bike taxi pilots

On Monday, Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, along with Godinho, launched an updated version of the government-backed Majhe App, which promises to make the state’s own motorcycle taxi service more user-friendly and accessible. Users can now book bike rides or rentals as well as parcel, grocery, medicine, and food delivery, and various other services using the app. The initiative is aimed at improving working conditions for motorcycle taxi “pilots” as they are known in Goa and also introducing safety measures for tourists as well as locals.

The state government also announced it will extend a 50 percent subsidy on electric motorcycles for pilots. Raincoats were distributed to pilots at the app launch event as a token of gratitude.