Is Ola, Uber and Rapido banned in Maharashtra? Govt clarifies action only on illegal bike taxis
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Transport Ministry has ordered the State’s Cyber Crime Department to register First Information Reports (FIRs) against prominent ride-hailing aggregators Ola, Uber and Rapido for allegedly continuing to run unauthorised bike taxi services.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik clarified that the three major app-based mobility providers remain functional across the State, even as the government pursues legal measures specifically targeting their unapproved two-wheeler transport operations.
The official clarification follows widespread social media rumours suggesting that the services of Ola, Uber and Rapido had been completely banned or suspended in Maharashtra.
In a public statement shared on X, the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), Maharashtra, dismissed the viral claims as baseless rumours, reassuring users that the State’s legal interventions are exclusively focused on illegal bike taxis.
“The claim circulating on social media that all services of Ola, Uber and Rapido have been completely shut down in Maharashtra is misleading,” the DGIPR clarified.
“The Transport Department has taken a strict stance against unauthorised bike taxi services operating illegally in the state,” the regulatory body added.
Official sources confirmed that Minister Sarnaik reached out to the Cyber Crime Cell requesting immediate intervention against the unauthorised commercial two-wheeler functions hosted on these digital applications. He has requested the enforcement team to take swift legal action, including booking the entities under relevant sections.
“Transport Minister Sarnaik has written to the Cyber Crime Department demanding the immediate shutdown of unauthorised bike taxi app services like Ola, Uber and Rapido and the filing of FIRs against the respective company owners,” the state statement read.
In addition, the Transport Commissioner has mirrored the request, forwarding a formal appeal to the cyber crime cell to ensure prompt enforcement.
The targeted aggregator platforms have not yet issued any official response regarding the state's move.
Commercial two-wheeler services have frequently run into regulatory roadblocks in Maharashtra, primarily due to licensing disputes, failure to meet mandatory transport compliance guidelines, and driver safety standards. The state government continues to closely review the policy architecture surrounding micro-mobility apps as operators deal with persistent legal hurdles.
IANS