Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Goa government is planning to stop issuing new licences for rental Mahindra Thar SUVs in a bid to improve road safety following a spate of accidents involving the vehicle in the state. Following a meeting with Transport Department officials on Monday, Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said a proposal would soon be placed before the State Transport Authority (STA) to regulate “high-risk rent-a-car Thar vehicles”.
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The proposal might include restricting the issuance of new licences to operators of self-drive rental Thars.
Speaking to the media after the meeting at the state Secretariat on Monday, Godinho said the move was prompted by the growing number of road accidents involving Mahindra Thar SUVs in Goa.
“We are concerned about the rising number of accidents and a discussion was held on the reasons and how to curb them. As far as Thar vehicles are concerned, we are going to restrict issuing new licences to operators of rental Thar vehicles… It is going to come up in the next STA meeting, and they will decide what action has to be taken,” Godinho was quoted as saying by the local media outlet, Goa News Hub.
Godinho also said that if the law allowed, the state government would ban rental agencies from operating Mahindra Thars altogether.
The Thar, which is one of Mahindra’s best-selling SUVs, is a popular vehicle for tourists, both domestic and foreign, visiting Goa. They are common with car rental operators in Goa. Renters typically charge between Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 per day for these rentals.
It has also accrued a rather negative reputation, thanks to it being involved in a rash of accidents in Goa, particularly while being driven by tourists.
In February this year, a speeding rented Thar rammed into a car at Happy Bar Junction in Goa’s Asagaon, killing 65-year-old Bhopal tourist Bhagat Ram Sharma on the spot.
In May, a 32-year-old man was killed, and a minor was critically injured after a rented Thar vehicle driven by a tourist allegedly rammed into their scooter in North Goa. A subsequent probe found that the accused Thar driver was inebriated at the time of the incident.
GOA MINISTER SAYS THAR HAS TOO MUCH SPEED, NO CONTROL
Justifying the plans to restrict licences, Goa minister Godinho claimed the vehicle is too powerful for most drivers to handle properly.
“It has got too much of speed and no control, so they just go and bang,” Godinho was quoted as saying by the local newspaper, The Navhind Times.
Godinho added that if the law allowed, the state government would ban rental agencies from operating Mahindra Thars altogether.
“Given the freedom, we would have banned the Thar. But we are going to recommend to the STA to take action on this. And further permissions for Thar perhaps will not be given,” the transport minister stated, according to Goa News Hub.
Beyond mulling restrictions on the Thar, the minister outlined a broader crackdown on rental operations and traffic violations.
In a statement on X, Godinho noted that the Monday meeting focused on the need for further regulations of rental agencies in Goa as well as the adoption of AI-enabled camera systems to improve enforcement of traffic rules.
“We remain committed to implementing effective, technology-driven measures that enhance road safety, promote responsible driving, and make Goa’s roads safer for everyone,” Godinho stated on X.
Goa is not the first state where authorities have publicly expressed concern over the Mahindra Thar. In Haryana, the state’s Director General of Police previously noted that the SUV had become synonymous with rash driving and stunt culture among some young motorists, though the state stopped short of proposing restrictions on the vehicle itself.
Godinho emphasised that the STA has also decided to take stricter action against drink-driving. Motorists caught driving under the influence who are involved in fatal accidents will now face immediate arrest.
Back in 2024, the Goa Police mandated that tourists renting vehicles in the state must sign an undertaking pledging adherence to road safety and traffic norms, according to a report by The Indian Express. The Goa government also made the installation of speed governors—devices that cap speeds under a set limit—mandatory for all rental vehicles. This came after the police found that rental bikes and cabs were twice as likely to be involved in accidents compared to other registered vehicles in Goa.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
