The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) issued a notice on Tuesday urging residents not to use Rapido’s bike‑taxi services, citing that the company did not hold a valid licence for the service. The RTO filed a police complaint against Rapido on 16 October, alleging that the company was offering bike‑taxi services illegally. Despite the complaint, the Rapido app continued to list bike‑taxi options as of 27 October. A meeting of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) was convened on 9 October under the direction of District Collector Jitendra Dudi. At the meeting, which included officials of the authority, representatives of other transport companies, and members of auto‑rickshaw and electric two‑wheeler taxi associations, Dudi ordered Rapido to cease its bike‑taxi operations. Rapido failed to comply with the directive, prompting the RTO to file the subsequent police complaint. The Pimpri‑Chinchwad Air Traffic Control Team has taken enforcement action against five vehicles operating under the Rapido app, levying a total fine of ₹56,000. Additionally, Pune police have reportedly requested that the Apple App Store and Google Play Store remove the Rapido application from their platforms.
Article source: Indian Express | Image credit: Indian Express