Mumbai’s transport crackdown just escalated. On Tuesday, city police registered FIRs against app-based bike taxi operators Rapido and Uber, accusing them of running passenger transport services without the required government approvals.
The complaints came after officials from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) posed as customers, booking test rides through both platforms. Their findings triggered formal police complaints at the Azad Maidan police station, alleging that both companies are operating in clear violation of existing transport rules.
According to officials, the Maharashtra Transport Commissioner had earlier directed enforcement teams to take strict action against aggregators offering unauthorized services. “The instructions were clear — these companies can’t continue to transport passengers unless they’re properly licensed,” said a senior RTO official familiar with the matter.
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Back in April, Rapido had already received a notice from the RTO warning them about similar violations. But despite the warning, operations appear to have continued, prompting officials to finally escalate the issue to the police.
The complaint outlines that neither Uber nor Rapido has obtained the necessary approvals from the state government or the RTO, yet they continue to run app-based bike taxi services openly. As a result, both companies now face charges under Section 318(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and multiple provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
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Police confirmed that an investigation is underway.
So far, there has been no official response from either company. Meanwhile, the case adds fuel to an ongoing debate over the legal status of bike taxis in India — a regulatory limbo that’s raising concern for both commuters and policymakers.
