Maharashtra Govt Cancels Provisional Licences Of Bike Taxi Firms Over Transport Rule Violations

Mumbai, March 9: The Maharashtra government has cancelled the provisional licences of companies operating illegal bike taxi services in and around Mumbai after finding violations of transport regulations, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik informed the Legislative Council.

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Replying to a notice raised under Rule 93 by member Sunil Shinde, the minister said the government has initiated strict action against unauthorised bike taxi operations and warned that violations of the rules will not be tolerated.

E-bike taxi policy introduced in Maharashtra

Sarnaik said the state has formulated a dedicated policy for e-bike taxi services in line with the Centre’s Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2020. The policy received approval from the state cabinet on August 7, 2024, and allows e-bike taxi services in cities with a population of more than one lakh. Accordingly, the “Maharashtra E-Bike Taxi Rules, 2024” were notified, making it mandatory for bike taxis to be 100 per cent electric.

Provisional licences issued to aggregators

Under the new policy, applicants were given a fixed period to fulfil all regulatory conditions before obtaining a final licence. As part of this process, provisional licences valid for 30 days were issued to Uber India Systems Pvt. Ltd., Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd., and ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd., which operates the ride-hailing platform Ola, to run services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Violations and safety concerns flagged

However, the minister said that some companies started operations without fulfilling the mandatory conditions. Complaints were also received about accidents involving bike taxi riders and concerns related to the safety of women passengers.

Following these findings, the transport department issued notices to the companies and registered cases in certain instances for violating transport norms.

Enforcement drive and penalties

Sarnaik added that regional and deputy regional transport offices across the state have been directed to intensify action against unauthorised bike taxi services. Special teams have been deployed to carry out inspections and penalise violators.

Providing details of the enforcement drive, the minister said action has been taken against 130 two-wheelers since April 2024, and penalties amounting to over Rs 33 lakh have been collected.

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Govt Cracks Down On Bike Taxis, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik Cites Safety Concerns & Rule Violations - Know Details

Government warns of strict action

The minister reiterated that the government is committed to ensuring that bike taxi services operate only in accordance with the law and with proper safety measures. Any violation of the rules will invite strict action, he added.

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