Maharashtra Govt Initiates Legal Action Against ‘Illegal’ Bike Taxi Platforms

Maharashtra transport department has reportedly initiated legal action against bike taxi platforms for illegally operating in the Mumbai metropolitan region.

As per news agency PTI, Maharashtra transport department said that regional transport offices (RTOs) registered cases against 123 bike taxis drivers operating in the region. Of this, 76 two-wheelers were seized under various provisions of the Motor Vehicles Rules.

The action was taken during a drive conducted by 20 flying squads of RTOs in Mumbai, Thane, Vasai, Vashi, and Panvel. In a statement, the department reportedly said that the ride-hailing platforms, against whom action was taken, had not obtained government permission and were operating illegally. 

“The investigation revealed that app-based bike taxi services were operational across the metropolis. This not only resulted in a loss of government revenue but also raised safety concerns for passengers,” the department reportedly said. 

The crackdown reportedly stemmed from several complaints regarding the illegal operation of bike taxis in the city.

This comes close on the heels of the Maharashtra government issuing a government resolution, which underlined new rules to regulate online aggregators and bike taxi operators in the state under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Act mandates proper permits to offer such services.

This comes weeks after Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik posed as a driver and found glaring lapses in the implementation of the bike taxi ban in Mumbai. Sarnaik is said to have booked a bike taxi on Rapido to verify a senior official’s claim that the app and illegal bike taxi services were non-operational.

That said, bike taxis have been banned across Maharashtra for the past two years. In January 2023, the state government barred such services and directed aggregators to apply for a licence to operate. 

Subsequently, ride-hailing platform Rapido approached the local transport department to acquire a licence to offer bike taxi services in the state but was denied permission. Afterwards, it approached the Bombay High Court (HC) to challenge the notification. However, the HC, too, rejected the petition and directed the company to suspend its bike taxi services for operating without a licence. Since then, the bike taxi policy in the state continues to be in limbo. 

Meanwhile, cab drivers of ride-hailing platforms continue to protest in Mumbai, seeking faster implementation of the aggregator policy and pay parity with regular taxi drivers.