Pune, Nov 15: Auto-rickshaw, taxi and cab driver unions from across Maharashtra are meeting in Alandi today to decide their next move against bike taxi services in Pune, a month after police filed a case against Rapido over alleged unauthorised operations in the city.
The meeting, scheduled for 11 am at the Samasta Harale Vaishnav Samaj Dharamshala opposite the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj temple, has been called by Dr Baba Kamble, national president of the Auto Taxi Transport Federation of India and founder president of the Maharashtra Rickshaw Panchayat. Unions could decide on a protest march, a sit-in or a non-cooperation movement, though no strike date has been announced yet.
At the heart of the dispute is a simple question that affects thousands of daily commuters in Pune: can an app-based two-wheeler carrying a paying passenger legally operate in the city? As of today, the answer from the authorities is no. No company holds a licence to run bike taxis in Pune, the district transport authority has ordered Rapido to stop, and an FIR has been registered against its parent company.
What the unions want
The unions have placed five demands before the state government. They want a ban on unauthorised bike taxis and action against the companies running them, rules on how app-based aggregators set fares, and a working welfare corporation for drivers, which the state has announced but not yet set up. They are also seeking action on alleged corruption in licence renewal and vehicle fitness checks, and proper parking stands for rickshaws across the city.
Drivers say bike taxis take the short trips that make up much of an auto driver’s daily earnings, without paying for permits, fitness checks or commercial insurance. Union leaders claim nearly 5,000 bike taxis operate in Pune without the required licences, though there is no official figure to confirm this.
This is not the first protest on the issue. Thousands of auto-rickshaw and cab drivers demonstrated outside the Pune Collector’s office on November 2, and union leaders have warned of an indefinite strike if the services are not stopped and drivers are not assured of government-approved fares.
How the row built up in October
Rapido resumed bike taxi rides in Pune on October 7, while its aggregator licence application, filed on August 11, was still pending with the state transport department. The same day, the state ordered all aggregators to go fully electric by July 2027.
On October 15, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, who chairs the Regional Transport Authority, ordered Rapido to suspend its bike taxi service until it obtains a licence. A day later, RTO inspectors booked a decoy ride through the app. A petrol two-wheeler registered for private use arrived for the trip, and police registered an FIR against Roppen Transportation Services, the company that operates Rapido, at Vishrantwadi police station.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar later said police had written to Google and Apple asking them to remove the Rapido app from their stores. On October 23, the collector asked the police commissioner to have the bike taxi booking option disabled across the district. Despite the orders, reports said rides were still being offered through the app in parts of the city.
After the November 2 protest, the collector assured driver associations that senior Rapido executives would be named in the October 16 FIR, according to union leader Keshav Kshirsagar, who heads the Baghtoy Rickshawaala organisation and the Indian Gig Workers Front. Police have not publicly confirmed that any individual executive has been named so far.
What the rules actually say
On paper, bike taxis are allowed in Maharashtra, but only electric ones, and only with a licence. In July 2025, the state notified rules that allowed electric bike taxis and barred petrol two-wheelers from the service. In September 2025, Ola, Uber and Rapido received 30-day provisional licences to move to electric fleets.
On March 9, 2026, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced that those licences had been revoked, citing petrol bikes in the fleet, missing documents and complaints of harassment of women riders. Sarnaik called the revocation temporary and said new permits could be considered if the companies met the rules.
Uber and Rapido have both applied to run e-bike taxis in Pune, and their applications remain pending. The RTO’s inspection report goes to the State Transport Authority, which makes the final decision. The state has not said when it will decide on the pending applications.
What it means for riders
For commuters, the practical position is clear for now. A two-wheeler on private, white number plates carrying a paying passenger is not a licensed transport vehicle, and if there is an accident, insurance claims can become difficult because private vehicle policies usually do not cover commercial use.
Licensed alternatives in the city are autos, whether hailed on the street or booked through an app, cabs and PMPML buses. For short hops from Metro stations, PMPML now runs feeder buses, including new routes on Metro Line 3. Passengers who come across an illegal bike taxi can report it to the Pune RTO or the Pune Traffic Police, with the vehicle number and the time of the ride.
Whether today’s meeting in Alandi ends with a strike date or a softer form of protest will be known only after the unions finish their discussions. For now, the standoff between Pune’s auto drivers and the bike taxi aggregators remains unresolved, and riders in the city are caught in the middle.
FAQs
Is Rapido bike taxi legal in Pune?
No. Rapido has no bike taxi licence in Pune, the Regional Transport Authority has ordered it to suspend the service, and an FIR has been filed against its parent company.
Are electric bike taxis allowed in Maharashtra?
State rules from July 2025 allow electric bike taxis, but only for companies with a licence. All provisional licences were revoked in March 2026.
Is there an auto strike in Pune on November 15?
No strike has been announced. Unions are meeting in Alandi on November 15 to decide on a possible statewide agitation.
What happened in the Rapido case so far?
The Pune RTO registered an FIR on October 16 against Roppen Transportation Services, and police have written to Google and Apple seeking removal of the app. The collector has assured unions that senior executives may be named in the case.
What can riders use instead of a bike taxi in Pune?
Licensed autos, cabs and PMPML buses, including feeder buses from Metro stations, are the approved options for now.
Note: This report is based on statements by the unions and reporting by Pune Pages, The Times of India, The Economic Times Auto and other outlets. Rapido’s response was not available in those reports.
