Ola, Uber, Rapido Receive Provisional Licences For Bike Taxi Services In Mumbai
The State Transport Authority (STA) in Maharashtra has granted approval for provisional licences to the parent firms of app-based taxi aggregators Ola, Uber, and Rapido for bike taxi services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
- Date & Time:
- |
- Views: 26
- |
- From: India News Bull
Commuters will be charged Rs 10.27 per kilometer for bike taxi rides, according to officials. (Representational)
Mumbai:
Maharashtra's State Transport Authority (STA) has issued provisional licences to the parent companies of Ola, Uber, and Rapido for operating bike taxi services within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, establishing a base fare of Rs 15 for the first 1.5 kilometers, officials have reported.
According to the STA meeting minutes, these approvals come with the stipulation that the companies must apply for permanent licences within one month while complying with all requirements outlined in the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules 2025.
The approved entities include ANI Technologies Private Limited (Ola's parent company), Uber India Systems Private Limited, and Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited (Rapido's parent company).
Over the past two months, the transport department received four applications for launching bike taxi operations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). However, only three companies were granted provisional licences.
Smart-Ride's application was declined as it failed to satisfy the mandatory requirements for bike taxi operations.
The state government has implemented the new Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules 2025 through an official government resolution (GR).
Officials confirmed on Monday that the STA has approved a minimum fare structure of Rs 15 for the initial 1.5 kilometers for bike taxis.
For distances beyond this, passengers will be charged Rs 10.27 per kilometer, according to officials.
The fare structure was approved during an August 18 meeting of the STA, chaired by state Transport Secretary Sanjay Sethi, and will be applicable throughout Maharashtra, stated a regional transport office (RTO) official.
The fare calculation for bike taxis follows the formula developed by the Khatua committee, which is already used for determining autorickshaw and taxi rates, the official added.
The transport authority has also decided to conduct a review of bike taxi fares after a one-year period.
In January 2023, the government issued a GR that prohibited using private or non-transport category two-wheelers for app-based services.
Despite this prohibition, several companies continued providing app-based bike taxi services in Mumbai and elsewhere in the state using private two-wheelers.
The transport department has filed formal complaints against certain bike-taxi aggregators who were operating illegally and implementing surge pricing models.
Bike taxi fares are considerably more affordable than the minimum fares for traditional black-and-yellow taxis and autorickshaws in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Currently, passengers pay minimum fares of Rs 31 for black-and-yellow taxis and Rs 26 for autorickshaws.