After attack on Tiger Shroff, Maharashtra govt cracks down on bike taxis

Rapido said the individual linked to the Juhu shooting had not been active as a rider on its platform since October 14.

The state transport department is cracking down on bike taxis following Sunday’s Tiger Shroff shooting, after one of the accused was identified as a Rapido rider. On Wednesday, transport minister Pratap Sarnaik instructed aggregator companies to thoroughly vet their riders’ antecedents, adding that the state is stepping up enforcement of its bike taxi policy.

Transport officials are examining compliance with licensing rules after provisional permits expired. (HT/Representational image)

“The incident involving Tiger Shroff has raised issues regarding passenger safety and recruitment policies of aggregator companies. It is our fault that they don’t ask for domicile proof and police verification of these drivers while registering them. By next week, we will announce stringent steps for aggregators to follow,” said Sarnaik.

Government reviews implementation of bike taxi policy

The government has been struggling to monitor the bike taxi policy ever since it was rolled out in September, Sarnaik has also instructed the transport commissioner to prepare a detailed report on how the policy is being implemented.

According to RTO officers, aggregators have not been thoroughly verifying their riders’ antecedents. Neither is proof of identity and residence sought and verified, nor is police verification undertaken, they said. Another key requirement is that riders must be domiciled in Maharashtra. The minister has directed aggregators to rigorously vet all applicants to make sure none has a criminal record.

Police says only electric scooters can run as taxi bikes.

Auto and taxi unions demand disclosure of enforcement action

Meanwhile, auto-rickshaw and taxi unions, which fear that bike taxis will cut into their business, are demanding that the transport department make public details of the action taken against bike taxis. They claim no information has been submitted by app-based companies to the transport department and question whether the policy remains on paper.

Keshav Nana Kshirsagar, president of Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha, said, “There is a need to cancel the registration of bike taxis. If the companies employ people without adequate document verification, individuals with serious criminal backgrounds could potentially operate in major cities such as Mumbai for years. This is not merely a law-and-order issue but a national security concern.” He had demanded a high-level inquiry and strict action against those found responsible.

Rapido says accused was inactive as a rider since October 14

Rapido, for its part, had released a statement after Sunday’s incident, saying “the individual mentioned in media reports had been registered on its platform but had not been active as a captain since October 14”.

A Rapido spokesperson said, “Individuals in India’s large gig economy commonly register on multiple platforms simultaneously. The individual had used its service as a customer on the day of the incident. The company said it was in constant contact with the authorities and cooperating with the investigation, adding that it had zero tolerance for violence or criminal activities.”

The RTOs have been instructed to crack down on violations of the bike taxi policy. For instance, they will initiate action against two-wheelers other than electric bikes being used to ferry passengers.

Provisional licences expire as department checks compliance

Aggregators had been allowed to operate bike taxis under provisional licences for a month in mid-September, but these have since expired, RTO officials said. Aggregators were expected to obtain permanent licences but the department is examining compliance.

Uber, Rapido and Ola had each registered around 50 electric bikes while seeking permits, even as thousands of petrol-driven two-wheelers are allegedly operating as taxis on the ground.

“Simply having a policy in place doesn’t work if it is not thoroughly enforced. When the government allows private operators into the public domain, monitoring them is essential,” said AV Shenoy, transport expert and founding member of the Mumbai Mobility Forum.