Maharashtra shuts down bike taxis again

The minister said the Maharashtra government had introduced the Maharashtra E Bike Taxi Rules 2024 to create employment opportunities for local youth and provide commuters with a cheaper travel option. In August 2024, the state cabinet permitted the operation of electric bike taxis in cities with a population of more than one lakh.

Under the policy, vehicles were required to be electric and aggregators were asked to complete all compliance requirements within 30 days before applying for permanent licences. However, the companies allegedly continued operations without meeting the conditions.

Sarnaik said a large number of bike taxis currently operating in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region were illegal. He added that Regional Transport Office officials had complained about a lack of cooperation from bike taxi operators.

The minister has directed authorities to register cases against vehicle owners rather than only the riders. He also said the government had received complaints related to accidents and concerns over women’s safety involving bike taxi services.

According to the transport department, enforcement agencies have taken action against 130 bike taxis since April 2024 and collected fines of more than Rs 33 lakh.

The decision is the latest turn in Maharashtra’s long running and often inconsistent approach to regulating bike taxis. App based operators began offering bike taxi services in cities such as Mumbai and Pune in the mid 2010s as a cheaper last mile mobility option. However, transport authorities repeatedly said privately registered motorcycles could not be used to ferry passengers commercially under existing rules.

In January 2023, the state government issued a government resolution prohibiting the use of private or non transport category two wheelers for app based passenger services, effectively banning bike taxis. Despite the ban, several operators continued to run services, prompting police to register cases against some riders and aggregators.

A policy shift came in 2024 when the government decided to formally regulate the sector through an electric bike taxi framework aimed at promoting green mobility and generating employment. In 2025, the state notified the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules and granted provisional licences to aggregators to operate in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with a minimum fare of Rs 15 for the first 1.5 km and per kilometre rates based on the Khatua Committee formula used for taxis and autorickshaws.

The state however has once again chnagd its stance warning that bike taxis operating on city roads  will be deemed as illegal.

The Maharashtra government has also suspended the issuance of new auto rickshaw permits across the state from March 9, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced. The decision was taken in view of the growing number of autorickshaws and the pressure on urban traffic, the minister said. Regional Transport Offices have been instructed not to issue fresh permits until further orders. The transport department will now prepare a standard operating procedure on granting future permits, which will be placed before the state cabinet for approval. Officials said the move is also aimed at protecting the livelihood of existing autorickshaw drivers.