Goa has just gotten its first and exclusive app-based taxi service called Goamiles. The app was launched by the Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar, at the Secretariat Complex, Porvorim. Earlier this year, there had been a strike by taxi drivers in Goa against the Uber and Ola entering the state.

Goamiles is said to be managed by a local Goan company called Frotamiles which is a subsidiary of the parent company Pitasys Software. Pitasys were the successful bidders for GTDC’s app-based taxi service. Currently, its registered passenger user base is more than 60,000.

Present at the launch were Minister for Tourism, Manohar Ajgaonkar; Hon’ble Chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), Nilesh Cabral; Chief Secretary of Goa, Dharmendra Sharma; Secretary for Tourism, Sheo Pratap Singh, Menino D’Souza, Director, Department of Tourism along with other dignitaries.

Speaking at the launch, Parrikar said, “Goa can now take tourists for miles through the new app-based taxi service which will be affordable and give travellers a comfortable journey from the time they arrive till they leave. I congratulate Goa Tourism for launching this initiative and wish them a huge success.”

Adding to this, Ajgaonkar stated, “ The launch of the app-based taxi service in Goa will bring a revolutionary change in the transportation system for all stakeholders including taxi drivers, tourists and locals. I am confident that tourist taxi drivers across Goa will join this digital system so that Goa does not lag behind other states where such systems are working successfully.”

The parent company says tracking would also be made easy as passengers would be able to track the location of the ride in real time as well as past and current bookings. Emphasis has been given on safety, as driver and vehicle details are shared with the passengers before boarding. Similar to Uber and Ola, there is an inbuilt ‘Panic’ button in the app to ensure that the safety of passengers isn’t compromised. Also, there is a set of do’s & don’ts for drivers which will be monitored by GTDC through random checks.

As per the parent company, Goamiles will provide the convenience of booking a taxi immediately upon arrival in the state at reasonable, government approved rates. The app can be downloaded from Google Play Store and Apple Store.