The Maharashtra government is once again targeting ride-hailing services like Uber, and this time for its bus service.
Pratap Sarnaik, the transport minister of Maharashtra, reportedly vowed a crackdown on Uber Shuttle and other aggregator bus operators for failing to obtain a government permit for the service, a week after he pretended to be a rider and discovered violations in Mumbai’s bike taxi prohibition.
According to a media outlet, the minister stated that severe measures would also be implemented against senior RTO officials who are in charge of “not taking action” against aggregator buses and bike taxis that are operating unlawfully in the city. In addition to Uber Shuttle, Cityflo, an aggregator bus operator, was also under governmental scrutiny for failing to get a permit.
“When I questioned RTO representatives, they informed me that they had sent notices to the bus aggregators and were awaiting a response. However, they ought to carry out raids, punish them, or terminate the services,” Sarnaik stated.
In the interest of commuters, he also emphasised the necessity of a policy for bus aggregators. He went on to say that in order to benefit a greater number of commuters, the government must create a policy for bus aggregators. However, permitting unlawful app-based bus operations has to be stopped.
Uber Shuttle May Disappear from the App
Following the news, Uber Shuttle services might be suspended and removed from the app, according to a media story that quoted sources. Many aggregator-controlled buses may stop operating out of concern for RTO action, according to a different article published by the daily on 10 July.
According to the report, more than 450 buses are run by bus aggregators like Cityflo, Uber Shuttle, and others in Mumbai. Rapido was found breaking Maharashtra’s bike taxi prohibition last week by the transport minister.
To confirm a senior official’s assertion that the app and illicit bike taxi services are non-operational, Sarnaik made a reservation for a bike taxi on Rapido in Mumbai on July 3 using a different identity.
In contrast to the assertion, a bike taxi driver arrived quickly to collect the minister from the designated pickup location. The driver was counselled by the minister upon his arrival over the unlawful service, but he was not prosecuted.
Tug of War Between Maharashtra Government and Rapido
The controversy around bike taxis began in January 2023 when Maharashtra outlawed them and ordered the platforms to apply for a licence to operate there. Rapido then applied for a licence to provide bike taxi services in the state from the local transport department but was turned down.
Following the department’s denial of the authorisation to function as a bike taxi aggregator, the ride-hailing app filed a challenge against the notification in the Bombay High Court. After learning that Rapido was operating without a permit, the HC also dismissed the aggregator’s request and ordered the business to halt its bike taxi services.
A proposal to let bike taxis operate in the state was accepted by the Maharashtra Cabinet in April. According to Sarnaik, the new policy, which intends to encourage EVs, will only permit electric bike taxis to operate on public highways.
The Maharashtra government published a gazette notice formalising the state’s bike taxi operating regulations following the July 3 incident. Aggregator platforms are required by the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025 notice to obtain a valid licence prior to providing bike-taxi services.
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