Panaji, Aug 24: The All Goa Private Bus Owners’ Association has served a statutory notice on the Goa government, giving it seven days to resolve its long-pending demands, failing which its members have threatened to peacefully show black flags to Union Ministers visiting Goa for the inauguration of the BJP office at Chimbel and the Porvorim flyover.

The notice, dated August 24, has been addressed to the Chief Secretary and copies have been submitted to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, Transport Secretary Mahesh Kumar Shambhu, Director of Transport Arvind Khutkar and the Superintendent of Police (North).

Association General Secretary Sudip Narayan Tamankar said the decision to issue the ultimatum was unanimously taken at a meeting held on August 22 after repeated representations to the state and central governments allegedly failed to resolve the issues faced by private stage carriage bus operators.

At the centre of the dispute is the operation of electric buses hired by the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL). The Association has demanded that permits be made mandatory for electric buses hired by KTCL from Evey Trans, arguing that their operations on routes overlapping with private buses are causing scheduling clashes and financial losses to private operators.

According to the notice, between March 9, 2021 and April 29, 2022, KTCL hired 50 twelve-metre electric buses from Hyderabad-based Evey Trans Private Limited. Subsequently, KTCL decided to hire another 100 nine-metre electric buses, comprising 75 single-door and 25 double-door buses.

Citing RTI information covering the period from January 23, 2023 to May 29, 2026, the Association claimed that 76 of these buses were added to the KTCL fleet through registrations at the Panaji Regional Transport Office.

The Association has referred to Central government orders and notifications under which battery-operated and vehicles running on methanol, ethanol or hydrogen are exempted from the permit requirement under Section 66(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. It has, however, maintained that the exemption is adversely affecting existing private stage carriage operators in Goa.

The notice also raises objections over the use of land at the KTC New Bus Stand at Patto, Panaji. The Association claimed that out of a Transport Department plot measuring around 17,490 square metres, approximately 7,000 square metres has been permitted for setting up charging infrastructure for Evey Trans electric vehicles.

It further stated that 48 EV buses — 22 funded under the Smart City Mission and 26 through Goa’s 60th Liberation Year funds — are operating under KTCL on routes including Panaji-Bambolim via St Cruz, Panaji-Miramar, Panaji-Dona Paula, Panaji-Bambolim via Dona Paula and Goa University, and Panaji-Taleigao.

The Association alleged that Smart City-funded buses are travelling beyond Smart City limits and entering neighbouring panchayat areas, resulting in competition with existing private stage carriage operators.

Tamankar said the issue was not limited to private bus operators, claiming that yellow-black taxi operators, motorcycle pilots and rickshaw operators dependent on passenger movement from the Panaji bus stand were also apprehensive about the impact on their livelihoods.

The Association said it had raised the permit issue with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on August 19, 2025 and again on June 6, 2026, but claimed no definitive action had been taken.

‘Will show black flags peacefully’

The Association has stressed that its proposed black flag demonstration would be peaceful and non-violent. Referring to constitutional provisions and court judgments concerning freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, it maintained that displaying a black flag as a symbolic form of dissent is protected so long as it does not obstruct traffic, threaten public safety or disturb public order.

“If the issue is not resolved within seven days, the Association will peacefully display black flags to the Central Ministers visiting Goa for the inauguration of the Bharatiya Janata Party office at Chimbel and the Porvorim flyover,” the statutory notice states.

The Association has blamed the alleged inaction of the Union Road Transport Ministry, the Goa government, Transport Department, Smart City authorities and KTCL for forcing private operators to take the protest route.