About Goa

Variously known as "Pearl of the Orient" and a "Tourist Paradise", the state of Goa is located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan.


The magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendours of its temples, churches and old houses have made Goa a firm favourite with travellers around the world.


Much of the real Goa is in its interiors, both inside its buildings and in the hinterland away from the coastal area. Legends from Hindu mythology credit Lord Parshuram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu with the creation of Goa.


Over the centuries various dynasties have ruled Goa. Rashtrakutas, Kadambas, Silaharas, Chalukyas, Bahamani Muslims and most famously the Portuguese have been rulers of Goa. Goa was liberated by the Indian Army from Portuguese colonisation on December 19, 1961 and became an Union Territory along with the enclaves of Daman and Diu. On May 30, 1987 Goa was conferred statehood and became the 25th state of the Indian Republic.


Having been the meeting point of races, religions and cultures of East and West over the centuries, Goa has a multi-hued and distinctive lifestyle quite different from the rest of India. Hindu and Catholic communities make up almost the entire population with minority representation of Muslims and other religions. All the communities have mutual respect towards one another and their secular outlook has given Goa a long and an unbroken tradition of religious harmony. The warm and tolerant nature of the Goans allows them to celebrate and enjoy the festivals of various religions such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Christmas, Easter and Id with equal enthusiasm.


The state of Maharashtra borders Goa on the north, the state of Karnataka on the south and east. The vast expanse of the Arabian Sea on the west forms the magnificent coastline for which Goa is justly famous. Terekhol (Tiracol), Mandovi, Zuari, Chapora, Sal and Talpona are the main rivers which weave their way throughout the state forming the inland waterways adding beauty and romance to the land besides being used to transport Goa's main export commodity of Iron and Manganese ore to Mormugao Harbour. Along the way to the coast these waterways form estuaries, creeks and bays breaking the sandy, palm-fringed coastline behind which lie the fishing villages among the coconut groves.


Panaji (Panjim) is the state capital located on the banks of the Mandovi river and Vasco, Margao, Mapusa and Ponda are the other major towns. Goa is serviced by an international/national airport located at Dabolim near Vasco. An intra-state and inter-state bus network also plays an important role in getting locals and visitors alike in and around Goa.


The vast green expanse of the Sahyadri mountain range ensures that Goa has an abundance of water. The sea and rivers abound in seafood - prawns, mackerels, sardines, crabs and lobsters are the most popular with the locals and the visitors. Along with English which is widely spoken all over Goa, Konkani and Marathi are the state languages. The national language Hindi is also well understood in most areas around the state.

About Department

The state Transport department was constituted under the provisions of Section 133 A of the Motor Vehicles' Act, 1939. The department acts as the apex regulatory body that controls the entire gamut of activities that go into the operation of passenger & goods transport motor vehicles - both private & commercial. Through these regulatory activities, the department of Transport is one of the major revenue earners for the state exchequer.

Goa has a total of 224 km of National highway, 232 km of state highway and 815 km of district highway.
Goa has two National Highways passing through it. NH-17 runs along India's west coast and links Goa to Bombay in the north and Mangalore to the south. NH-4A running across the state connects the capital Panjim to Belgaum in east, linking Goa to cities in the Deccan. The NH-17A connects NH-17 to Mormugao Harbour from Cortalim, and the new NH-17B, four lane highway connecting Mormugao Harbour to NH-17 at another location, Verna, via Dabolim airport

Working of the Department

The Motor Vehicles Department functions under the provisions of Section 213 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Central Act 59 of 1988). The Motor Vehicles Department is primarily established for enforcement of the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act 1988, Goa Motor Vehicles Taxation Act 1976 and the rules framed under these two Acts.

Road transport is a very vital area of public interest. We are committed to absolute integrity and judiciousness, courtesy and transparency in our efforts to achieve the above stated mission. We consider it our responsibility to enlighten the public about their rights and entitlements. It is our earnest endeavour to educate the public about the procedures associated with the various activities and transactions in the department. Thus the Department is trying to revitalize and simplify the various functions and activities and make them more people-friendly.

To render help to the public an effective and efficient public relations system was set up in all offices of the department. After considerable thought we have fixed practicable time limits for various services rendered from the offices. We make sincere and earnest efforts to adhere to the time limit as far as possible. We have introduced a revolutionary change in the issue of driving licence i.e. the licence is issued on the spot on the same day of the test.

Functions of the Department

The major functions of the Motor Vehicles Department are 
(i) Enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Act and Rules 
(ii) Collection of taxes and fees and 
(iii) rendering services like 
(a) issue of Driving Licences 
(b) issue of Conductors’ Licences 
(c) Registration of Motor Vehicles 
(d) issue of Certificate of Fitness to Transport Vehicles 
(e) providing transport facilities to the public by granting regular and temporary permits to vehicles etc. 
Apart from this importance is also given to Road Safety measures and to the Control of Automobile Pollution. We dedicate ourselves to provide better and speedy service to the common man and proper enforcement of the statutory provisions pertaining to Motor Vehicles Act and Rules.



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