Goa: A vacation turned into a distressing ordeal for a woman tourist from Ahmedabad in South Goa, who claimed she was harassed by local taxi drivers for booking an app-based cab.

In a video that is doing the rounds on social media, the woman described how she was blocked from boarding her cab, threatened with police intervention, and forced to walk several kilometres in the rain with her luggage to reach the airport. “There’s hooliganism here,” she said in the video.

In the viral clip, the woman says, “Hello everyone, I came from Ahmedabad and stayed at a resort. My booking was from the 11th to the 15th. Here, the cab drivers act like goons — where the fare should be Rs 1500–1800, they charge Rs 3500–4000. And when you try to book online, these taxi drivers harass the clients a lot. We come here as tourists to travel and enjoy. Our 5-day experience was good, but on the last day they misbehaved with me so badly. When my cab arrived, they didn’t let it move forward and didn’t allow me to sit in it. During the rain, I had to carry all my luggage and walk on foot. I was completely drenched.”

Wake up Goa. This is not an isolated incident.

Many tourists visiting Goa have shared videos on social media, complaining about being charged extremely high fares for short trips. These unfair practices are leaving visitors with negative experiences and damaging Goa’s reputation… pic.twitter.com/nSur8fRyID

— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) September 19, 2025

“This was such a pathetic experience for me. I have been to Goa before, but I have never seen a situation as bad as South Goa. If you come to South Goa, be careful — there is a lot of hooliganism here. I don’t know what the police do. Instead of being helped by the police, I was threatened, saying ‘you cannot go ahead, first the police will come,’” the woman further said.

She added that the resort staff also failed to assist her, despite the high cost of her stay, trying only to “patch things up.”

She added, “My experience in Goa has been the worst because of the cabs. The charges are so high that they leave you helpless. If you come here, be careful — the situation in South Goa is really terrible.”

#BoycottGoa Trends On X

Several netizens shared the clip with the hashtag #BoycottGoa. One user wrote, “Ek solo female tourist ko sirf isliye rain mein chhod diya, kyunki usne taxi mafia ke fare pe sawal uthaya. 400 meter walk, dhamki, aur aankhon mein aansu. Ye Goa tourism hai 2025 ka? @DrPramodPSawant aap chup kyun hain? #BoycottGoa”

Another said, “SHOCKING 🚨 This woman broke down in tears on camera after taxi mafia of Goa harassed & threatened her 💔 Her crime? — She refused to pay ₹3500 for 5 or 10 km ride… Is #BoycottGoa only option left now, @DrPramodPSawant ?”

“When I see that tourist sobbing in the viral clip, I see myself. The night I was stranded near Candolim, pushed around by taxi drivers for “daring” to ask why fare was so high. Goa has failed us,” another user commented.

“Wo tourist thi, criminal nahi. Bas itna kaha ki fare zyada lag raha hai aur jawab mila: “Police bula lenge, barish mein chalti ban.” Ye hai Goa ka asli tourist experience. @DrPramodPSawant kya aap dekh rahe ho? #BoycottGoa” another one said in a tweet.

Police Action

Following public outrage, Colva police registered an FIR against three local taxi drivers—Menino D’Silva, Milagres Almeida, and Agnelo Rodrigues—all residents of Betalbatim. The case is currently under investigation, with authorities promising action based on the findings.

The woman warned other travelers to exercise caution in South Goa, criticizing the local taxi operators’ “monopoly” and the threats she received from police. “South Goa’s situation is very bad. Taxi drivers have a monopoly, and tourists can face serious difficulties here,” she said. DeshGujarat