Maharashtra Government Gives Ola, Uber, Rapido Nine-Month Deadline to Switch Bike Taxis to Electric

Maharashtra Government has asked bike taxi companies such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido to move to electric bikes, as per the news reports. The state Transport Department has told the companies to start the switch, with existing petrol bike taxi operators getting six months to comply. Operators with provisional or temporary licence applications will get three more months. 

Operators using petrol bikes will get six months to make the switch. Those that have already applied for provisional or temporary licences under the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025, will get another three months. 

Electric Bikes Made Mandatory 

Maharashtra had already made electric bikes compulsory for licensed bike taxi services in July last year. 

Under the 2025 rules, commercial bike taxis must use electric two-wheelers. The bikes also need to be painted yellow and marked as bike taxis. 

The companies were initially given temporary 30-day licences to make the switch. But after they failed to meet the requirement, the state cancelled their licences in March this year. 

Companies Wanted More Time 

The Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association had asked the government for 18 months to complete the shift to electric vehicles. Some aggregators had also asked for time until 2030. 

The state had considered allowing companies to run a mix of petrol and electric bikes, with each making up 50% of the fleet. The Cabinet did not approve the proposal, partly because of concerns that companies could avoid buying EVs due to their higher cost. 

Fee Proposed for Illegal Services 

The state had also proposed a temporary ₹5 daily fee for bike taxis operating without approval. 

Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik had said aggregators would also have to put 2% of each ride's fare into a welfare fund for bike taxi drivers. 

Read More: RBI Increases Repo Rate to 5.50%, First Hike Since February 2023! 

Conclusion 

Maharashtra is now giving bike taxi operators a limited period to shift completely to electric vehicles. Existing petrol-bike operators have six months, while companies with provisional or temporary licence applications can get up to three more months. 

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