Maharashtra has intensified its crackdown on unauthorized bike taxi operations. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has written to the state’s cybercrime department, calling for the immediate shutdown of app-based ride-hailing platforms operating bike taxis without valid permissions and the filing of FIRs against the owners and management of these companies.
What has the Maharashtra govt said? In a letter dated May 12 to the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, Sarnaik alleged that bike taxi apps such as Ola, Uber and Rapido have been operating passenger transport services in the state without valid permission, government approval, or compliance with the transport department regulations.
“There is no guarantee of passenger safety in these unauthorized bike taxi services, and safeguards, including driver verification, insurance protection, women’s safety measures, and emergency response mechanisms, are extremely inadequate. Because of this, passengers’ lives could be at risk,” the letter reads.
He has asked the cybercrime department to immediately block the online operations of bike taxi services of Ola, Uber, and Rapido and sought strict action under both the Information Technology Act and the Motor Vehicles Act against the companies, their drivers, and their management.
Who bears the cost of illegal bike taxis? Sarnaik also cited a November 2025 incident in which a woman traveling on an allegedly unauthorized bike taxi died in an accident on the Mulund-Goregaon Link Road. He said an FIR has already been lodged in connection with the case, adding that several complaints involving illegal bike taxi apps had been registered at various police stations across the state.
Data reveals the scale of violations: According to data compiled by the State Transport Authority, enforcement teams found that between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, Rapido was operating 715 bike taxis across Maharashtra, compared to 43 run by Uber and 18 run by Ola. Of these, 110 Rapido vehicles and 15 Ola vehicles were seized, The Indian Express reported.
At least nine FIRs were registered, and fines aggregating to over Rs 11.85 lakh were collected over the period. In 2026, at least 14 FIRs have been lodged against aggregator platforms for alleged illegal bike taxi operations in violation of transport laws.
Why this matters: Bike taxis officially became legal in Maharashtra in July last year when the state government notified the Maharashtra Bike-Taxi Rules 2025. Since then, bike taxis have been banned across the state at least twice due to persistent non-compliance by aggregator platforms. However, a ban doesn’t always work. When bike taxis were deemed illegal in Karnataka, aggregator platforms came up with a workaround. They simply rebranded the service as “bike parcel”, where a parcel could mean a passenger.
In September last year, companies such as Rapido, Ola, and Uber were granted 30-day provisional bike taxi licences by the state government. The platforms were required to transition their fleet to fully electric within that window and submit compliance documents. However, that gave the platforms wiggle room to operate without accountability. Instead of complying with the bike taxi rules, aggregators ran business as usual, continuing to operate petrol-powered bikes and privately registered vehicles.
By invoking the IT Act alongside the Motor Vehicles Act and routing action through the cybercrime department, the Maharashtra government is treating ride-hailing apps as a digital infrastructure subject to shutdown rather than just a platform facing fines. This matters because it could set a precedent for other Indian states seeking action against non-compliant aggregators.
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