FIR against Rapido for operating illegal bike taxis in Mumbai
What's the story
Mumbai Police has filed an FIR against the directors of Roppen Transportation Services, which operates under the brand name Rapido. The company is accused of running an illegal bike taxi aggregator service. The action comes after six Regional Transport Office (RTO) officers caught Rapido's bikes operating without necessary permits. The FIR was filed at Amboli police station following a complaint from Harshal Sose (41), an inspector at Mumbai West RTO in Andheri.
Legal action
Report filed under relevant sections of Motor Vehicles Act
The FIR against Rapido's directors has been registered under sections 223 (disobedience of lawful orders issued by public servants) and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. This comes after Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar ordered RTOs to take action against bike taxis in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The order was issued after state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik booked a Rapido bike taxi from Mantralaya to Dadar to expose illegal operations.
Regulatory changes
Companies like Rapido have allegedly violated regulations
Maharashtra has recently legalized bike taxis, but operators can only use electric two-wheelers and must have proper licenses, including yellow commercial number plates. A state-appointed panel suggested these rules to prevent aggregators from pooling non-transport vehicles for passenger safety. However, companies like Rapido have allegedly violated these regulations. Last month, Uber and Rapido were also booked for operating illegal bike taxi services in the state.