Bombay HC rejects Rapido petition against Pune RTO

Rapido had filed a petition in the Bombay HC, challenging the Pune RTO’s order rejecting its application for a valid licence for its two- and three- wheeler bike-taxi services in Pune.

Pune -In a major decision, the Bombay high court (HC) on Friday rejected a petition filed by Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd (Rapido) against the Pune Regional Transport Office’s (RTO’s) order dated December 22, 2022 rejecting Rapido’s application for a valid licence for its two-wheeler and three-wheeler bike-taxi services in Pune.

State govt had submitted a notification which prohibits the use of non-transport vehicles for all two-, three- and four- wheelers for the aggregation and carpooling business. (RAHUL RAUT/ HT PHOTO)

A bench of justices G S Patel and S G Dige stated that there were discrepancies in Rapido’s stance as on the one hand, it was saying that the RTO cannot refuse a bike-taxi licence on grounds of absence of a state policy for the same while on the other hand, there is no state policy for two-wheeler taxis in the Motor Vehicle Aggregator’s Guidelines 2020 issued by the Centre. Whereas the state government had submitted the notification recently issued by the central government on January 19, 2023 which prohibits the use of non-transport vehicles for all two-, three- and four- wheelers for the aggregation and carpooling business.

Rapido had filed a petition in the Bombay HC, challenging the Pune RTO’s order rejecting its application for a valid licence for its two- and three- wheeler bike-taxi services in Pune. On January 13, 2023, Rapido had closed down its bike-taxi operations across Maharashtra after a long tussle between Rapido and auto-rickshaw unions which claimed that bike-taxi services were eating into their business in Pune and other parts of the state.

According to Rapido Spokesperson, Rapido works with the bottom of the socio-economic strata of the pyramid and we empower and augment the income of the lowest strata of the society.

“The Rapido platform is synonymous with safe, economical, environment-friendly transport aggregator services to the Indian public. Its operations have been welcomed in and span 22 States and 100 cities across India. The State of Maharashtra notification of 19 January 2023 prohibiting the use of non-transport (private) vehicles for purposes of aggregator and ride pooling (including two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers) services impacts Rapido’s innovative business model generating employment and livelihoods to nearly two lakh people across Maharashtra daily, with transport convenience to around one hundred fifty thousand users per day. Rapido is evaluating judicial remedies, including arising from rejection of its licence attributed inter alia to lack of bike taxi policy in the State,” spokesperson said.