Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has sought the shutdown of app-based ride hailing platforms operating bike taxi services in the state and called for criminal action against company owners. The Maharashtra government has directed the state cybercrime department to immediately block unauthorized bike taxi apps and initiate legal proceedings against aggregators allegedly operating without valid permissions. The move marks the latest escalation in Maharashtra’s long-running bike taxi dispute amid ongoing regulatory and legal battles.

In a letter dated May 12 to the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, Sarnaik alleged that bike taxi apps such as Ola, Uber and Rapido have been operating passenger transport services in the state without valid permission, government approval, or compliance with the transport department regulations.

“There is no guarantee of passenger safety in these unauthorized bike taxi services, and safeguards, including driver verification, insurance protection, women’s safety measures, and emergency response mechanisms, are extremely inadequate. Because of this, passengers’ lives could be at risk,” the letter reads.

The minister has asked the cybercrime department to immediately block the online operations of bike taxi services of Ola, Uber, and Rapido and sought strict action under both the Information Technology Act and the Motor Vehicles Act against the companies, their drivers, and their management.

Sarnaik also cited a November 2025 incident in which a woman traveling on an allegedly unauthorized bike taxi died in an accident on the Mulund-Goregaon Link Road. He said an FIR has already been lodged in connection with the case, adding that several complaints involving illegal bike taxi apps had been registered at various police stations across the state.