State Transport Authority will take decision about bike taxi aggregators violating rules: Sarnaik

Mumbai, Dec 17 (PTI) Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday said the State Transport Authority will take a decision about the bike taxi aggregators found violating rules, and said his department has so far filed 36 complaints against the erring operators.

In a video shared by the Transport Minister's office after a review meeting held at the Mantralaya in the wake of the alleged molestation of a female passenger by a bike taxi rider in Kalyan town of Thane district, Sarnaik said the aggregators had failed to follow the rules even after obtaining permission.

After the cabinet's approval, the transport department had issued temporary licences to bike taxi aggregators, namely Ola, Uber and Rapido. The companies had also showcased their bike taxis to the department.

The State Transport Authority chaired by the transport secretary will take a decision about it within two days, he said.

"If the rules made by the state government about bike taxis are not followed, then it will have to take an appropriate decision about them and I have given the directives regarding it," Sarnaik said.

The transport minister said the companies have been using petrol-powered bikes on roads, despite e-bikes being made mandatory under the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025.

He further said that recently a passenger died in an accident involving a bike taxi of one aggregator, while a rider associated with another aggregator molested a woman passenger in Kalyan.

Sarnaik said that so far the transport department has filed 36 police complaints against bike taxi aggregators. PTI KK NP