The Maharashtra government recently issued a vehement call for Apple and Google to remove several ride-hailing apps from its stores — prompting buzz about a possible ‘ban’ of Ola, Uber and Rapido usage in the state. Reports indicate that state officials are now looking for a way to stop bike taxis without forcing the three companies to “delete their apps” or stop operating in the state.
According to an Indian Express report, state authorities are now looking for a way to halt bike taxi operations without disrupting other services offered by the three ride-hailing platforms. The update comes less than a day after the state government sharply escalated its fight against bike taxis — invoking the IT Act to seek removal of all three apps from the Apple and Google stores.
“We are trying to work around a way to cease bike taxi operations without blocking all standalone ride-hailing apps,” a senior Cyber Department official told the publication on Sunday.
The abrupt backtracking points to a legal problem the state may not have fully thought through — one that experts told the Indian Express could make the notices difficult to defend in court. It also remains somewhat unclear how a state government order to delete the three apps would have played out in practicality.
What is the current status of ride-hailing options in Maharashtra?
As per official directives, the Maharashtra government currently allows Ola, Uber and Rapido to offer a wide range of vehicles in the state. This includes various types of cars and autorickshaws. Provisional licenses for e-bikes to ferry paying passengers were withdrawn in mid-March after Ola, Uber and Rapido reportedly failed to submit their compliance documents or transition to green-plate EVs.
Maharashtra govt issues notices to Apple and Google
The Maharashtra State Cyber Department had issued notices to the two tech giants on Friday. The notices invoked the Information Technology Act of 2000 and asked companies to “remove and disable access” to the Ola, Uber and Rapido applications from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
“We have sent letters through Maharashtra Cyber to Google and Apple regarding these apps. Bike taxis are operating illegally in Maharashtra, and action is being taken accordingly,” Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik told the Indian Express on Friday.
The missive was shared mere days after Sarnaik directed Maharashtra police to shut down unauthorised bike taxi apps for aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido. A letter to the cybercrime department was sent earlier this week, and also called for cases to be registered against the owners of these firms.
Why is the Maharashtra government cracking down on bike taxis?
“These apps are openly violating government rules while carrying out financial transactions, adversely affecting the livelihood of licensed rickshaw and taxi drivers. App-based bikes do not adhere to safety regulations, posing a serious threat to public safety,” Sarnaik said in his Tuesday letter to the cybercrime department.
He also mentioned an accident involving an unauthorised bike taxi in Mumbai’s Bandra Link Road area on April 22, in which a woman died.
“Recently, a serious incident came to light wherein a bike taxi service operated through one of these applications allegedly resulted in the tragic death of a woman. A criminal case has been registered in this regard,” Indian Express quoted the subsequent notices to Apple and Google as saying.