Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has written to the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Department seeking immediate suspension of illegal bike taxi operations and registration of FIRs against the companies, operators and drivers involved.
According to the transport department, several app-based bike taxi services have been operating without valid permissions, government approval or compliance with transport regulations. The minister said such services pose serious risks to public safety, particularly because of inadequate driver verification, lack of insurance coverage, weak emergency response systems and concerns related to women’s safety.
The government also cited a recent accident on Mumbai’s Mulund-Goregaon Link Road in which a woman allegedly died while travelling on an unauthorised bike taxi. Officials said multiple complaints and police cases linked to illegal bike taxi services have been reported in recent months.
The transport department further argued that these unauthorised services are affecting the livelihoods of licensed auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers by operating outside the legal transport framework while continuing commercial transactions through mobile applications.
In its communication to the cyber crime department, the Maharashtra government has demanded immediate shutdown of the online operations of such bike taxi apps and strict action under the Information Technology Act and Motor Vehicles Act against the companies and their management.
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