The latest media reported that the most speculated bike taxis got approval by Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government for the operation of bike taxis in urban areas, including Mumbai and other cities, as per the media report.
Green Light To The Use Of Bike Taxis In Urban Areas
They are expecting that this decision will benefit the app-based companies such as Rapido, Ola, and Uber.
This is not the first time as Maharashtra has become the 13th state to permit bike taxis, joining the earlier list of states including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka and others.
A government notification with further details would be issued soon, said Vivek Bhimankar, State Transport Commissioner.
Bhimankar said, “It will be an app-based fleet service and will prove to be convenient for passengers,” noting that bike taxis could help reduce city traffic.
Consider the case of Mumbai, it has 2.8 million two-wheelers, including 600,000 scooters, as per state vehicle registration data.
What Are The Bike Taxis Rules?
- The app-based aggregators must have a fleet of at least 50 two-wheelers, with a registration fee of one lakh rupees, as per the draft rules.
- In case of the fleets exceeding 10,000 vehicles, the fee will be five lakh rupees.
- The bike taxis can operate within a 10 km radius in Mumbai and a five km radius limit is for other cities.
- All the bike taxis must have Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled, registration along with basic training for bike pilots will be mandatory for the aggregators.
Concerned Raised By Autorickshaw And Taxi Unions’
It appears that this approval for bike taxis is facing opposition from auto rickshaws and taxi unions.
Concerning the same, the president of the Autorickshaw Chalak-Malak Sanghatana Sanyukt Kruti Samiti, Shashank Rao voiced several concerns.
He noted, “It is not safe; there is no control on the operation; the credentials and character checks of the driver are not verified. Our resistance is not because we are afraid of our business, but because of these uncontrolled operations.”
Earlier, Chief Minister Shinde approved the decision following a meeting where the state transport department emphasized the importance of implementing the central government’s bike taxi policy, which was introduced in 2022.
Prior to this, the central government approved bike taxis two years ago.
They have given the responsibility for framing rules and issuing licenses to state governments.
Further, a state policy on bike taxis would help regularize the sector and ensure passengers’ safety, said An official from the transport department.
Adding, “Maharashtra has not yet finalized the aggregator policy and issued the notification, despite which services are being operated by the aggregators. In case of any accident or mishap, the aggregators at present take no responsibility, saying they are just technology partners of the bikers. Our policy will help to regularize them and ensure the safety of the passengers.”
