Rapido, Uber, Ola Get Provisional Licenses To Ply Bike Taxis In Maharashtra

Two wheeler ride hailing services in Maharashtra are reportedly set to resume after the state government granted provisional bike licenses to operators like Ola, Rapido and Uber. As per a report by PTI, the aforementioned bike taxi providers are required to charge INR 15 for the first 1.5 km, with an additional INR 10.27 per kilometre thereafter.

“The approval has been granted on the condition that these companies apply for permanent licences within a month, fulfilling all terms and conditions prescribed in the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules 2025,” Maharashtra’s State Transport Authority (STA) statement read. 

Officials expect operators to roll out fully licensed services in the coming months, pending final clearances and registration processes.

The companies got the licences two months after the state’s transport department notified the “Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025” as the operating framework for bike-taxi services in Maharashtra. 

The law, notified by the state government under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, allows licensed aggregators /service providers with a minimum fleet of 50 electric bikes to operate bike-taxi business models across the state of Maharashtra. 

Approved licensees must comply with conditions on vehicle fitness, fare transparency, safety measures (helmets, GPS tracking, emergency features), operator accountability (control rooms, complaint redressal, off-boarding), and strict codes for drivers, with penalties and revocation powers resting with local transport authorities to ensure adherence and public safety.

Important to mention that Maharashtra had banned conventional bike taxis in 2023 but is now formally permitting them under a regulated framework. However, the state government first signalled its intent to permit bike taxis earlier this year, issuing a resolution allowing both bike taxis and bike-pooling services in cities with populations over 1 Lakh.

The Bigger Picture

Despite the regularisation of bike taxis in the state, regulations pertaining to this form of ride-hailing service remains uneven across India. In Karnataka, the High Court banned bike taxis in April 2025 pending state-specific rules under the Motor Vehicles Act. Ola, Uber, and Rapido were forced to halt operations, triggering legal appeals and driver protests. 

The court later gave the government a one-month deadline to clarify its policy stance, warning that legitimate businesses cannot be frozen indefinitely. As of now, bike taxi services have since resumed in Karnataka under interim approvals.

Notably, Karnataka had introduced an Electric Bike Taxi Policy in 2021 but withdrew it after safety concerns and complaints about private vehicles being used commercially. Delhi, by contrast, allowed electric bike taxis in 2023.

At the national level, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) revised the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines in 2025 to allow non-transport motorcycles to operate as shared mobility vehicles. 

The guidelines encourage states to issue permits, collect fees, and maintain regulatory oversight, aiming to reduce congestion, pollution, and costs for commuters while generating livelihoods for drivers.