Mumbai: Following the Maharashtra Government’s decision to crack down on unauthorised bike taxi and app-based transport services operating across the state, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi launched a sharp attack on the Mahayuti government, accusing it of hypocrisy over public transport policies and the handling of aggregator platforms such as Ola, Uber and Rapido.
Taking to X, Chaturvedi criticised the state government’s move to initiate strict action against bike taxi operators while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been urging citizens to rely more on public transport and reduce fuel consumption amid ongoing global economic uncertainties.
In her post, Chaturvedi said that on one hand, the Prime Minister is appealing to people to use public transport, while on the other, the Maharashtra Government is allegedly trying to shut down available commuting options for citizens. She further claimed that commuters in the state are already dealing with reducing BEST bus services, deteriorating interstate transport buses and overcrowded transit infrastructure, and are now witnessing app-based services being labelled as illegal.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also took a swipe at Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, alleging inconsistency in the government’s stand on Rapido operations in the state. Referring to an earlier controversy surrounding bike taxi services, Chaturvedi claimed that Rapido had previously been banned by the same minister, but the decision was allegedly withdrawn after the company sponsored his Dahi Handi event.
The remarks come after the Maharashtra Transport Department intensified its stand against unauthorised bike taxi operations functioning without formal approval in the state. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has reportedly written to the cyber crime department seeking immediate action against app-based bike taxi platforms including Ola, Uber and Rapido.
The tweet comes in after the transport department demanded the shutdown of unauthorised bike taxi app services and the registration of FIRs against the owners and operators of the respective companies. The Transport Commissioner has also separately written to the cyber crime department regarding the matter.
The state government has maintained that several passenger transport services are operating without valid permissions, licences or compliance with transport department regulations. Authorities have raised concerns that the increasing presence of unauthorised bike taxi operators poses a serious risk from the perspective of commuter safety and regulatory oversight.
The issue has once again triggered a wider political debate over urban mobility, public transport infrastructure and the role of app-based transport aggregators in cities like Mumbai, where lakhs of commuters rely daily on affordable last-mile connectivity options.
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