According to officials, the emergency meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday at 10.30 am at the minister’s office in Mantralaya. Following the incident, Sarnaik has sought an explanation on why the temporary permits granted to app-based aggregators should not be cancelled
Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed officials to examine violations related to unauthorised passenger transport and take appropriate action. File pic
In the wake of an alleged molestation of a young woman passenger by a Rapido bike rider in Kalyan, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has called an urgent meeting of the motor vehicles department (MVD) to review the functioning of app-based bike taxi and cab aggregators operating in the state.
According to officials, the emergency meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday at 10.30 am at the minister’s office in Mantralaya.
Following the incident, Sarnaik has sought an explanation on why the temporary permits granted to app-based aggregators such as Rapido, Ola and Uber should not be cancelled, amid allegations that they are flouting transport regulations and operating illegal passenger services.
The transport minister has directed the department to examine violations related to unauthorised passenger transport and take appropriate action in accordance with the law. He has also asked officials to review safety norms and regulatory compliance, particularly in view of concerns over passenger security.
The minister’s move comes days after the Regional Transport Office (RTO) filed a case against Roppen Transport Pvt Ltd, which operates Rapido, for allegedly running illegal bike taxi services in Mumbai despite a government ban. mid-day.com had on December 5 reported that motor vehicle inspectors conducted a decoy operation in Nehru Nagar and Kurla by booking bike rides through the Rapido app to test the legality of the service.
According to police, three bike taxis arrived as per the bookings and were fined Rs 10,000 under Sections 66 and 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act for operating without a valid permit, along with Section 142, which pertains to permanent disablement of vehicles.
RTO files case against Rapido for operating illegal bike taxi services in Mumbai
RTO officers have alleged that Rapido continues to operate without permission from the transport department, in violation of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2020, and Section 66 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which prohibits private vehicles from carrying passengers for hire. Officers have also raised concerns over passenger safety, especially for women, noting that drivers are not subjected to mandatory character verification or security checks.
Officers said the upcoming review meeting will focus on enforcement gaps, legality of bike taxi services, and measures required to ensure commuter safety. Further action is expected after the review, based on the findings and explanations submitted by the department.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
