“The rental vehicle industry is an important part of Goa’s tourism economy and should not be treated as an enemy. Thousands of livelihoods depend on it. However, responsible businesses also suffer when reckless operators are allowed to flourish. A comprehensive audit of operators is therefore overdue. Authorities must verify parking facilities, vehicle fitness, insurance, GPS systems, speed limiting devices and licence conditions. Operators repeatedly violating norms should lose their permits without hesitation.
The responsibility also lies with tourists. A holiday is not a licence to ignore traffic laws. Driving under the influence of alcohol, racing through villages or treating public roads like off road tracks reflects a dangerous sense of entitlement. Goa’s hospitality cannot come at the cost of its residents’ safety.”
Goa’s decision to consider stopping fresh licences for rental Thar vehicles comes after yet another series of fatal accidents involving tourists driving rented SUVs It is a proposal that may reassure an anxious public, but it also raises an uncomfortable question. Why does meaningful action in Goa almost always come only after lives are lost?
The latest announcement by the Transport Department follows repeated accidents involving rental Thars, including incidents that claimed innocent lives. The government has now promised stricter enforcement, an audit of rent-a-car operators, checks on speed governors, vehicle tracking systems and compliance with licensing norms. These are welcome measures, but they are hardly new ideas. They are responsibilities that should have been enforced long before tragedy became routine.
It is easy to blame one vehicle.
The Mahindra Thar has become the symbol of reckless tourism because of its popularity among young visitors looking for adventure. But the problem runs much deeper than one model of vehicle. If Thars disappear from rental fleets tomorrow, the same drivers may simply switch to another powerful SUV. The issue is not the machine. It is the system that allows dangerous driving to continue with little fear of consequences.
Goa’s roads were never designed for speeding, aggressive overtaking or inexperienced drivers unfamiliar with local terrain. Narrow village roads, sharp bends, crowded market streets and heavy tourist traffic demand discipline behind the wheel. Yet every holiday season brings stories of drunken driving, speeding, illegal parking and hit-and-run accidents involving rental vehicles. The victims are often local residents who are simply travelling to work, school or home.
The irony is that Goa already recognised the problem. In 2024, tourists renting vehicles were required to sign safety undertakings, while speed governors and vehicle tracking devices were made mandatory. Police had also identified rental vehicles as being disproportionately involved in accidents. Yet enforcement remained patchy, allowing violations to continue despite clear warning signs.
This reflects a larger governance problem. Rules in Goa often exist on paper but disappear on the ground. Enforcement becomes visible only after public outrage. Whether it is illegal constructions, noise pollution, beach regulations or road safety, the administration too often reacts instead of preventing.
The rental vehicle industry is an important part of Goa’s tourism economy and should not be treated as an enemy. Thousands of livelihoods depend on it. However, responsible businesses also suffer when reckless operators are allowed to flourish. A comprehensive audit of operators is therefore overdue. Authorities must verify parking facilities, vehicle fitness, insurance, GPS systems, speed limiting devices and licence conditions. Operators repeatedly violating norms should lose their permits without hesitation.
The responsibility also lies with tourists. A holiday is not a licence to ignore traffic laws. Driving under the influence of alcohol, racing through villages or treating public roads like off road tracks reflects a dangerous sense of entitlement. Goa’s hospitality cannot come at the cost of its residents’ safety.
Equally important is the certainty of punishment. Fatal accidents caused by drunken or reckless driving should be investigated swiftly, prosecuted effectively and concluded without unnecessary delay. Visible enforcement creates deterrence far more effectively than periodic crackdowns announced after headlines fade.
Restricting new rental Thar licences may reduce one visible aspect of the problem, but it cannot become a substitute for comprehensive road safety reform. If enforcement remains weak, another vehicle will eventually replace the Thar as tomorrow’s villain.
Every road death leaves behind grieving families who did nothing wrong except being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They deserve more than condolences and promises made after the fact. They deserve a government that prevents predictable tragedies instead of merely responding to them.
Good governance is measured not by the announcements made after accidents but by the accidents that never happen because the rules were enforced in time.
