The founders of the Rapido app have been booked in Nagpur for allegedly operating petrol-powered bike taxi services in Maharashtra without the necessary government permissions. A case was registered following a complaint from the Nagpur RTO after a special drive revealed private vehicles were being used commercially without proper licenses, raising concerns about passenger safety and revenue loss for the government.
Calling the decision a win for the people of Karnataka, a Rapido spokesperson said it was not just a legal victory but a milestone moment for urban mobility in the state.
A 37-year-old habitual offender, posing as a bike taxi rider, has been arrested in Delhi for allegedly snatching mobile phones from unsuspecting late-night passengers.
Bike-taxi drivers are also left stranded as many depended on the service.
Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed the development, stating that the companies must abide by the court's decision.
A 34-year-old bike taxi driver has been arrested in Delhi for allegedly molesting a female passenger during a ride. The woman reported the incident to the police, leading to the driver's arrest and the seizure of his motorcycle.
Rapido - one of the largest players in the bike taxi commute business - says the new guidelines released by the central government on July 1, permitting "non-transport motorcycles" for aggregators, no longer give states the option of rejecting the revised policy.
Rising inflation and stagnant wages are forcing a number of salaried professionals to venture into the bike taxi service as part-time riders.
The union alleges financial hardship due to the state government's authorization of panic button device providers.
Maharashtra plans new policy to make domicile certificate mandatory for driving licence from August 2026, alongside efforts to regulate bike taxi services for revenue and job creation.
Both Uber and Rapido have an SOS button installed in the app which are monitored by their teams
Around 500 people have signed up on Ola's platform for the Bike Taxis service.
The state governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra have also moved to exert more control on app-based taxi aggregators.
A draft policy will be issued for public consultation in the coming weeks.
The bench, which stayed the May 26 order of the Delhi HC, also recorded the Delhi government counsel's submission the final policy will be notified before July-end.
BEST employees continued their strike in Mumbai for a second day, causing significant disruption to public transport despite appeals from the Maharashtra Transport Minister and the invocation of MESMA. Commuters were forced to rely on alternative, overcrowded transport options, while the striking unions maintained their demands for budget merger, improved pay, and absorption of contractual workers.
A 19-year-old man allegedly snatched the mobile phone of BJP MLA Dharamlal Kaushik during his morning walk in Raipur. The accused was arrested within eight hours, but the incident has sparked political controversy.
The Bharat Taxi platform is already positioning itself as the world's largest driver-owned mobility network, with more than 51,000 drivers across cars, autos, and bikes registered in New Delhi and Saurashtra, Gujarat.
Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik faces criticism after Rapido, the bike taxi aggregator he exposed for illegal operations, became the lead sponsor for a 'Dahi Handi' event organized by his family.
'We serve more than 1.2 billion trips annually and have over 1.5 million active earners each month using the platform.'
Employees of Mumbai's BEST undertaking have launched an indefinite strike, severely impacting public transport and electricity services. The strike, called by a joint action committee, demands budget merger with BMC, settlement of dues, and implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, among other issues. Despite court orders and MESMA invocation, the strike continues, causing widespread inconvenience to millions of commuters and electricity consumers.
A 29-year-old man died after allegedly setting himself on fire outside his wife's residence in northwest Delhi. The incident occurred after his wife left him due to domestic violence and allegations that he misrepresented himself as an Indian Forest Service officer.
'Today, we have 2 million active drivers earning through our platform every month.'
The state government says Ola was using its existing cab aggregator licence to promote bike taxi services.
Twenty-six immovable properties worth Rs 101.45 crore, and bank balance totalling Rs 2.28 crore in 22 accounts have been attached provisionally under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Lucknow zonal office of the agency, they said. The Greater Noida-headquartered Bike Bot taxi service is accused of scamming about Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000 crore from 2.25 lakh investors in multiple states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.
'We handle close to 3 million rides daily, making us one of the largest players in this segment'
The suspension was lifted after the executives of Ola Cabs had a detailed discussion with state chief secretary.
Ride-hailing unicorn Rapido is quickly scaling up its four-wheeler segment, which now contributes up to 25 per cent of its total bookings. Aravind Sanka, Rapido's cofounder, in a video interview with Udisha Srivastav/Business Standard, shares insights on the company's plans to expand into the segment, how BluSmart's exit has created an opportunity for the company, its push towards green mobility, and navigating state-specific policies.
Uber started its business three years ago in India and is now operating in over 20 cities with thousands of cab drivers.
The key driver of this expansion will be not car-hailing but bike-taxi service. The company is willing to partner local players that have a similar offer and would like to come on their platform.
Ola and Uber have committed to spending Rs 15,000 cr to win the taxi market.
Uber recorded approximately 200 per cent year-on-year growth in its pre-scheduled ride option, Uber Reserve.
There's a hint of new competition riding into a sector that has attracted attention for being in a duopoly-like situation. Rapido, a commute app known for its budget-friendly bike-taxi services, on Tuesday announced its entry into the cab market, which is currently dominated by marquee brands Uber and Ola. Rapido's cab foray will be enabled by a software as a service (SaaS)-based platform.
Road ministry identified bike-sharing, carpooling and e-rickshaws as ways to deal with rising pollution in major cities.
US-based ride hailing firm accuses rival of making false bookings on its platform, drags it to Delhi High Court.
'Unless we consistently show up with the right cars, at the right time, priced fairly, we risk becoming irrelevant very quickly.'
Ola wants to be India's answer to Grab, which is into everything, starting from cab service and logistics to bike taxis and food and grocery delivery.
Ola, which is now present in seven cities in the UK, said its easy-to-use app would transform commuting experiences in these areas providing the community with greater travel choice as well as quicker and easier access to cabs.
India turns talent backyard for Southeast Asian taxi apps to fight Uber.
