Goa halts registration of Ola Electric scooters amid complaints over poor service and repair delays

The Goa government has taken a strong stance against Ola Electric following multiple complaints from customers over poor service support and prolonged repair delays. Acting on these grievances, the government has suspended the registration of Ola Electric scooters on the national vehicle database — the VAHAN portal. This move effectively halts new registrations of Ola Electric scooters in the state until further notice.

According to the Transport Department, several customers had reported that their electric scooters were left unrepaired or unattended at Ola’s workshops for months, with the company allegedly failing to provide timely service or spare parts. These issues had reportedly surfaced as early as November last year, when numerous scooters were found parked in workshops without maintenance or repairs. After scooter owners raised the matter with the Transport Department, the authorities had earlier warned Ola Electric and held hearings to seek an explanation. During those hearings, the company had assured officials that all service and repair issues would be resolved promptly.

However, the problem resurfaced again recently. Last week, a group of frustrated scooter owners organized a protest against Ola Electric, accusing the company of neglecting customer service and failing to meet repair commitments. The protestors also submitted a memorandum to Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, urging him to intervene and suspend the company’s operations in the state until the situation improved.

Following these renewed complaints, the Transport Department took cognizance of the issue and officially blocked the registration of Ola Electric scooters on the VAHAN portal. Transport Director P. Pravimal Abhishek explained that the decision was made after observing the serious hardships faced by customers, who were unable to use their vehicles due to delays in repair and maintenance. He described the situation as “unfortunate,” especially since the same issue had been raised and supposedly resolved the previous year.

Abhishek revealed that over 2,000 Ola Electric scooters were lying idle in workshops due to lack of repair or spare parts, which he called “unacceptable.” The department also issued a show-cause notice to the company, asking why its trade certificate — which allows it to sell vehicles in Goa — should not be cancelled.

In response to customer distress, the Transport Department has advised affected scooter owners to approach the consumer court to seek compensation or other forms of relief. The department further offered to assist owners by providing free legal aid, including help in drafting petitions and complaints, if they choose to pursue legal action.

At the same time, government officials have met representatives of Ola Electric to discuss corrective measures. Ola’s representatives assured the authorities that the company is now taking strong steps to address the service backlog. They claimed that manpower at Goa workshops has been increased nearly eightfold and that spare parts supply has been improved significantly. They also stated that most of the pending repairs have been cleared.

The Transport Department plans to verify these claims through an official inspection in the coming days. If the inspection confirms that all issues have been properly resolved and customer service has improved, the government may consider revoking the suspension and restoring Ola’s registration privileges. Until then, the suspension will remain in effect as a measure to protect consumer interests and ensure accountability from the company.