Ola, Uber and Rapido bike taxis, which became an affordable lifeline for daily commuters in Delhi, have been banned by the state government as they were using non-transport (private) registration marks/numbers
Leading cab aggregators, Ola, Uber and Rapido had to discontinue their bike services after receiving a government notice, which stated that using personal vehicles as commercial taxis violates Motor Vehicle Act, 1988
Ola bike, Uber bike and Rapido bike cabs were being offered at lower prices than the cars making them popular among the middle class in Delhi. For instance, if an Uber Go cab was available between Rs 250 to Rs 300 for a ride between Delhi to Noida, Uber Bike was available between Rs 100 to Rs 150 only
The Delhi government announced a fine of Rs 5,000 for first-time defaulters and a subsequent fine of Rs 10,000 for repeated offenders. The concerned person might also face imprisonment. The driver’s licence might get suspended for a minimum period of three years
As per the current Motor Act rules, a vehicle will be considered a taxi if it has the capability to carry more than one passenger. The vehicle must have a registration mark, yellow number plate and a PSV badge which is issued after police verification. Drivers are supposed to undergo behavioural sessions to ensure proper customer service
Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, “Aggregator policy for 2-wheeler, 3-wheeler and 4-wheeler is in its final stage and will be rolled out soon helping them to apply for grant of licence under the new scheme.”
The ban on the bike taxes generated reactions on social media. Entrepreneur Neha Nagar said, “The ban will crush the employment of thousands of bike taxi drivers and affect local people who have been using bike taxi services for their daily commute.”
“Bike taxi services were such a relief for the daily commuters at a reasonable price,” said Pareekshit Suvarna