Action Taken Against Illegal Bike Taxi Operators Transporting Passengers Without Authorization

Mumbai : A crackdown was launched simultaneously in Mumbai, Thane, Vasai, Vashi, and Panvel against illegally operated bike taxis, by 20 special “Vayuveg” squads from regional transport offices (RTOs) in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. During the drive, 93 vehicles operating illegally were penalized, and 85 bike taxis were seized. Criminal cases are being initiated against unauthorized aggregators.

The Transport Commissioner’s Office had received numerous complaints regarding the use of mobile applications to illegally operate bike taxis for unauthorized passenger transport in Mumbai city. These services were being conducted without any official permission from the Transport Department, thereby deceiving both the government and passengers.

As per Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is mandatory for app-based passenger transport services to obtain appropriate licenses under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Policy. However, the ongoing operations by certain companies were found to be in violation of these legal provisions, as they were carrying out passenger transport without the necessary approvals.