Auto strike in Pune: Following all norms, claims bike service spokesperson

Explaining why the service has become so popular, he said it’s not just the fare, which makes it competitive, but a Rapido can enter small and narrow roads and can cover the urban crawl faster

In the midst of an auto-rickshaw strike in Pune, questions have been raised about the legality of bike taxi services and the response they are getting. However, the spokesperson of Rapido bike service said they are a law-abiding company and will go by the rulebook.

Passengers seen booking taxis at Pune airport. (Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

“Rapido is operating under the aggregator guidelines notified by the Union government and Maharashtra state government. As the matter is sub-judice, we would not like to comment further on the issue,” he said, on request of withholding his identity.

Explaining why the service has become so popular, he said it’s not just the fare, which makes it competitive, but a Rapido can enter small and narrow roads and can cover the urban crawl faster.

“We provide door-to-door convenience and our services are fully app-based, with various payment options and a safe ride experience,” the person informed.

Rapido’s service is currently operating in over 100 cities across India, having crossed 100 million rides.

“We provide a livelihood to over 57,000 captains in Pune and cover up to 15,000 rides daily. We cater primarily to office goers in the peak morning and evening hours, college students and small business owners,” the company representative added.

He further informed that every ride done with the operator is insured as per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways 2020, aggregator guidelines which are enforced in Maharashtra for both the captain and customers.

Explaining the safety features, he said every rider is verified and has to upload all the necessary documents to acquire the permit.

“The app has an in-built SOS feature for customers, which is integrated into 24x7 customer support and help centre maintained by Rapido. All rides are monitored through GPS whenever passenger avails of a ride,” the delegate said.