Individuals bear brunt of action against bike taxis in Gurgaon

Regional transport authority (RTA) has seized more than 50 bikes with white number plates, which were being used as taxis attached with app-based cab aggregators, in last two months.

Regional transport authority (RTA) has seized more than 50 bikes with white number plates, which were being used as taxis attached with app-based cab aggregators, in last two months.

According to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, taxis are supposed to have yellow number plates. However, Uber bike taxis are plying with white number plates.(Picture for representation)

The main sufferers of the action have been the owners as most such bikes are individually owned. The bike owners said they not only lost their livelihood but also ended up facing legal hassles and expenses on paying the challans.

In a recent such case, RTA impounded about 15 bikes of UberMOTO last week and served notice to the company to explain by Monday the violations of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 . The notice was sent to Uber’s chief executive officer, president, Uber India, and general manager, north zone.

The company has not yet replied to the notice but the bike owners have been making the rounds of the court and the RTA office to get their vehicles released.

According to an RTA official, bike owners gave an undertaking that they were assured by the company that “use of their personal bike with white number plates to pick and drop passenger for a hire or reward is legal and valid”. RTA authorities, however, impounded the bikes as white number plate vehicles are not allowed to be used for commercial purposes.

“I tied up with UberMOTO with an aim of earning extra money so that I could send something home. I was not aware of the violation as the company assured us that the operation was legal. I paid from my pocket to release the bike,” said a biker, requesting anonymity. He got his bike released on Tuesday after paying a challan. A person has to pay a minimum fine of `2,000 for such a violation, an RTA official said.

The notice by the Regional Transport Authority to Uber stated that “plying of white number plate bikes offered by Uber India System Private Limited is in violation of law and punishable under various provisions of MV Act including sections 192, 192A, 193, 196, and 199”.

“We have not received any reply from Uber so far. We will serve another notice and initiate legal action against the company after that,” said RTA secretary Jitender Kumar. He said other aggregators stopped using such bikes after their bikes were impounded.

The company on Monday offered UberMoto ride for a flat Rs 30 in Gurgaon for a week. The company representatives did not respond to calls and text messages on the matter.