Uber, Rapido booked for offering bike taxi service sans permission

RTO officials booked dummy rides on both Uber and Rapido and found private two-wheelers with white number plates were being used to run commercial services

MUMBAI: The Azad Maidan police station has registered a case against ride hailing apps Uber and Rapido for allegedly running bike taxi services in the state without any permission or license. The two firms have been booked for cheating and operating bike taxis without valid licenses and registration under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Information Technology Act, 200, and the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Representative image.

“Though the state government has not given any permission to operate bike taxis, Uber and Rapido were found offering rides on bike taxis through their online platforms,” said an officer from the Azad Maidan police station. “The companies are illegally transporting passengers and earning profits from the same by cheating the state government.”

The Maharashtra cabinet had, on April 1, approved the introduction of electric-bike taxis in cities with a population of at least 100,000, aiming to create over 10,000 jobs in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) and another 10,000 jobs in the rest of the state. The state government subsequently issued draft rules for e-bike taxis, and sought suggestions and objections within June 5. The final rules are slated to be tabled in July.

The police said RTO officials booked dummy rides on both Uber and Rapido and found private two-wheelers with white number plates were being used to run commercial services.

“Bike taxis may help beat the traffic but requisite permissions are still not in place,” said the police officer quoted earlier.