Mumbai Commuters Allege Rapido Overcharging On Short Auto Rides As Transport Dept Plans Show-Cause Notice

Mumbai, September 16, 2026: Mumbai commuters have alleged that several auto-rickshaw drivers refuse short-distance rides on the meter but accept the same trips through aggregator platforms such as Rapido, where passengers are charged significantly higher fares. The allegations have prompted the state transport department to initiate action against Rapido.

Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar said the department would issue a show-cause notice to Rapido and take action. “Yes, we will send a show-cause notice to Rapido and will take action,” Narvekar said. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik also termed the alleged practice as overcharging and said the matter would be examined.

The issue was highlighted by commuter Krishna N Singh, who said he approached multiple autorickshaw drivers after reaching Goregaon station for a short ride to Oberoi Mall.

According to Singh, the drivers refused to use the meter. He subsequently booked a Rapido auto, where the fare shown was Rs 76. The metered fare for the same distance is around Rs 40, he said.

Singh said he regularly travels between the two locations and usually pays around Rs 29-30 when there is no traffic. He alleged that the problem was not limited to one driver.

“I asked multiple auto-rickshaw drivers, but they refused. When I booked through Rapido, the ride was accepted, but the fare was almost double or more than the normal meter fare,” he said.

Questions Over Aggregator Fares

The allegations raise questions about whether commuters are being indirectly pushed towards aggregator bookings because drivers are unwilling to accept short-distance trips on the meter. Passengers say they are left with little choice when multiple drivers refuse a ride.

Rapido was asked why a passenger was charged Rs 76 for the Goregaon station-Oberoi ride when the metered fare is reportedly around Rs 40, whether the platform follows a fixed fare structure for auto-rickshaw rides, and how it prevents overcharging on short trips. The company declined to comment.

The transport department’s proposed show-cause notice is now expected to examine the fare structure and the circumstances under which higher fares are being charged for such short-distance rides.

Illegal Bike-Taxi Services Continue

Meanwhile, illegal bike-taxi services continue to operate in Mumbai, with commuters reporting motorcycles with regular white number plates being used for such rides. In several cases, pillion passengers allegedly do not receive helmets, raising safety concerns.

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The services also allegedly do not follow the requirement of using electric two-wheelers for bike-taxi operations. The continued operation of such services has raised questions over enforcement and passenger safety, particularly as commuters increasingly use app-based two-wheeler services for short-distance travel.

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