Mumbai, Dec 30: A committee of the Maharashtra Transport Department has found multiple violations of prescribed norms by all three bike taxi operators—Ola, Uber and Rapido—operating in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), according to the State Transport Authority (STA).
Use Of Non-Electric Bikes, Overcharging Among Violations
The violations include the use of non-electric and privately registered motorcycles, charging fares higher than the rates approved by the STA, ferrying passengers beyond the permissible distance limit, and deploying riders without mandatory police verification.
STA Defers Immediate Action, To Hold Meetings
Despite the findings, the State Transport Authority has not initiated immediate punitive action against the operators. Instead, the authority has decided to hold meetings with the senior management of the three companies before taking a final call on their provisional licences.
Model Code Of Conduct Cited For Enforcement Delay
A senior officer of the state transport department said that enforcement action has been deferred due to the Model Code of Conduct being in force ahead of the upcoming civic elections in Mumbai.
Committee Examined Compliance With 2025 Rules
According to sources, a transport department committee constituted on November 12 to examine compliance with the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025, found common violations across all three aggregators—Uber, Rapido and Ola—in their MMR operations.
Details Of Common Rule Violations
These included the operation of non-electric and private motorcycles as bike taxis, charging fares above the rates approved under the STA order dated March 13, ferrying passengers beyond the 15-kilometre limit, and operating services without police verification of riders.
Rapido Accounts For Highest Number Of Fines
According to an official, the transport department has so far imposed fines on 863 bike taxis belonging to the three companies. Rapido (Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd) accounted for the highest number of penalties, with 702 fines, followed by Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd with 85, and ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd (Ola) with 76.
Sixteen Police Cases Registered Against Operators
Additionally, a total of 16 police cases have been registered against the operators. Of these, 13 FIRs were filed against Rapido, two against Uber, and one against Ola.
Opportunity Given Before Licence Action
Officials said the STA has decided to give the companies an opportunity to present their case before considering action against their provisional licences. As per the decision taken, the Transport Commissioner will first meet the senior management of the three firms, followed by a separate meeting with the Transport Secretary, after which the STA will decide the course of action.
Provisional Licences Granted Under 2025 Rules
The STA had earlier issued provisional bike taxi operator licences to Ola, Uber and Rapido under the Mumbai Bike Taxi Rules, 2025, allowing them to operate in the MMR. The licences were granted with the condition that the companies apply for permanent licences within one month, after fulfilling all statutory requirements.
Electric Bike Requirement And Fare Structure
One of the key preconditions was the registration of at least 50 electric bike taxis in the transport category within one month of receiving the provisional licence.
During the same meeting, the STA also approved the fare structure for bike taxis, fixing a minimum fare of Rs 15 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 10.27 per km thereafter. The fares were determined using the Khatua Committee formula, which is also applied to taxis and autorickshaws, and will be reviewed after one year.
Minister’s Warning Adds Urgency To Issue
Transport department officials further added that they were expecting stricter action, particularly in the backdrop of Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik’s recent remarks warning of tough measures against rule violations by bike taxi aggregators. The issue gained urgency following a recent molestation case in Kalyan, in which a bike taxi rider allegedly molested a female passenger.
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STA Meeting Preceded By Minister’s Statement
Just a day before the STA meeting, Sarnaik had stated that the authority would take a decision against bike taxi operators for flouting the rules.
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