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Pune police file FIR against Rapido operator for allegedly running bike taxis without permits
Pune police have registered an FIR against Rapido’s operator for allegedly running bike taxi services without required permissions after an RTO official booked a ride.
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Pune city police have registered an FIR against Roppen Transportation Service Pvt. Ltd., the company that operates Rapido, for allegedly running bike taxi services without the required permissions, officials said on Saturday.
The action comes after Pune collector Jitendra Dudi, who heads the regional transport authority (RTA), had asked the aggregator to stop bike taxi operations within a day or face legal action.
According to police officers, a case was registered at the Vishrantwadi police station on October 16 following a complaint by Prasad Survase, a motor vehicle inspector with the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO).
According to the complaint filed by the RTO officer, the company is providing transportation services to passengers through its mobile application using petrol-powered motorcycles meant for private use rather than commercial transport. It was also alleged in the complaint that these services were being provided without the required permissions or authorisation.
To verify the alleged violations, the RTO official booked a ride through the Rapido mobile application at around 6.44 pm on October 16. The pickup location was Commerce Zone in Yerawada, while the destination was Kothrud Bus Depot. The distance shown by the app was approximately 13 km, and the fare was ₹179.
After waiting for approximately six minutes, a motorcycle arrived at the pickup location. The enforcement team questioned the rider, seized the vehicle and issued a challan to the driver/owner of the vehicle under the Motor Vehicles Act. The enforcement team then took the motorcycle to Vishrantwadi police station, as stated in the complaint.
The FIR was lodged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Motor Vehicles Act. Further investigation is ongoing.
Rapids has not made a statement on the development.
