Mumbai: Bike taxis will only be allowed for electric two-wheelers, transport minister Pratap Sarnaik has said. The detailed rules will be notified soon.
“There will be special rules for ensuring women’s safety. There will be a partition between two passengers and for monsoon, the bikes will be covered. So, people won’t get wet. We are promoting e-bikes that will reduce pollution. Fares will be affordable,” Sarnaik said. “A plan is under consideration to provide Rs 10,000 each to the sons and daughters of Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Rickshaw-Taxi Corporation members so that they can start a e-bike taxi business.”
Officials said the govt plans to encourage women bike riders. Bike taxis have been running in cities including Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The central govt approved bike taxis two years ago, while delegating the responsibility of rule formulation and licence issuance to state govts, but implementation proved unfeasible in Maharashtra due to widespread opposition. Pune RTO initially declined to grant Rapido authorisation for bike taxi operations in 2022. Rapido contested the RTO’s verdict in Bombay high court. In Jan 2023, the court dismissed Rapido’s petition, deeming it unsubstantiated. The court emphasised that Rapido’s operations necessitated proper licensing and compliance. In Feb, the state formed a committee to devise policy for bike taxi aggregators. But auto and taxi unions voiced opposition during deliberations.
A bike aggregator subsequently disputed the state’s lack of aggregator policy, citing reliance on Aggregator Guidelines established by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The RTO instructed all aggregators to cease bike services in Mumbai and other parts of state, citing absence of state government authorisation for two-wheeler taxi operations. By June 2024, the state govt, under then CM Eknath Shinde’s leadership, sanctioned bike taxis and established a framework for policy formulation. tnn
