Relief For Rapido, Ola, Uber: Bike Taxis To Be Soon Allowed In Delhi

With the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government preparing to pass the aggregator policy soon, bike taxis of aggregators like Ola, Uber and Rapido are expected to be seen again on Delhi roads.

The upcoming aggregator policy, which is expected to be notified in a couple of months, would have provisions for bike taxis, Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot told Times of India. The policy has been cleared by the law department, he added.

The new policy would give preference to electric bikes, and aggregators who have electric fleets would be allowed to run bike taxis, the report cited a senior official as saying.

However, it remains unclear if bike taxis with internal combustion engines would be allowed under the new policy or not.

Under the new policy, drivers would need to obtain a commercial service badge after having their antecedents verified by the police, the report said. Subsequently, their two-wheelers would be issued yellow commercial number plates.

Earlier in February, Delhi’s transport department banned aggregators such as Rapido, Uber and Ola from operating bike taxis and said that aggregators violating the order would be liable for a fine of INR 1 Lakh.

In a public order, the transport department noted that plying bike taxis in Delhi-NCR violated the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, as the Act prohibits using two-wheelers for commercial purposes.

The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) reportedly wrote to the Delhi government, urging it to not penalise drivers and bike taxi aggregators. The industry body, which represents startups such as Ola, Uber, Rapido, Zomato and Swiggy, said the central government’s motor vehicle aggregator guidelines issued in 2020 encourage use of non-transport vehicles by aggregators.

The Delhi government has been working on the aggregator policy for more than a year now. Earlier also Gahlot indicated that the state government’s draft policy would include bike taxi aggregators.

Of late, app-based aggregators have come under the scanner of multiple state governments. Recently, the Maharashtra government refused to grant an aggregator licence to Rapido, with the latter moving the Supreme Court in the matter. However, Rapido failed to get any relief in the matter, as the apex court directed the state government to decide on the matter.

Last year, the Karnataka government also banned app-based aggregators from operating auto-rickshaws in Bengaluru, stating that the aggregators were charging higher prices than prescribed by the state government.