Maharashtra To Regulate 4 Lakh Bike Taxis; Generate Revenue
The issue was discussed following a question raised by Chandivali MLA Dilip Lande regarding passenger safety and the legal status of app-based transport services: Reports
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Tuesday announced in the Legislative Assembly that the government will bring bike taxi services under official regulations to generate revenue and create jobs for local youth. The decision comes after the minister admitted the state currently earns no revenue from the thousands of illegal bike taxis operating across Mumbai and its neighbouring areas.
The issue was discussed following a question raised by Chandivali MLA Dilip Lande regarding passenger safety and the legal status of app-based transport services.
According to the minister, the Cabinet initially planned to permit only electric vehicle (EV) bike taxis to prevent a surge in pollution from petrol-powered bikes.
While temporary licenses were issued to major aggregators like Ola, Uber, and Rapido, only one company completed the licensing process. He further noted that operators subsequently deployed petrol bikes on a large scale across the region, prompting recent crackdowns by the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
As per the state estimates indicate that between 4,00,000 and 4,50,000 unauthorised bike taxis are currently active in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. To address the loss of revenue, the Chief Minister recently held a high-level meeting to finalise a new regulatory framework.
“To ensure employment for the young men and women of Maharashtra, the rules for bike taxis have been modified. Moving forward, anyone wishing to operate a bike taxi will have to pay Rs five per day to the government. Additionally, two per cent of the amount will be deducted per ride, which will be utilised for welfare schemes,” the minister said.
To curb illegal transport operations, the government will mandate that all bike taxi riders hold a valid state domicile certificate. “This arrangement will curb illegal transport and also bring revenue to the government,” Mr. Sarnaik said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu also raised concerns regarding reckless driving by food delivery riders, noting that it contributes heavily to traffic congestion and safety hazards. Mr. Sarnaik assured the house that the RTO will launch a targeted crackdown on errant delivery two-wheelers in the near future.
