Maharashtra mandates bike taxis switch to EVs by July 2027
Big change coming: Maharashtra has told bike taxi services like Ola, Uber, and Rapido they need to switch entirely to electric vehicles by July 2027.
The state is kicking off a nine-month transition period soon: petrol-powered bike operators will have just six months to start making the move, while companies that have already applied for provisional or temporary licenses will get an additional three months to complete the transition.
Drivers fear EV costs, deadline unchanged
Not everyone's thrilled: many drivers are worried about the cost of electric bikes, the lack of EV charging infrastructure, and the shorter life of an electric vehicle.
Amit Gawde, president of the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association, says this shift could hit bike taxi riders from middle or lower-middle-class backgrounds pretty hard.
Even with these concerns, the government isn't budging on its timeline or extending the deadline to 2030.