Pune bike taxis have triggered a fresh regulatory confrontation after Uber began offering the service in the city, despite the Regional Transport Office saying neither Uber nor Rapido has permission to operate bike-taxi services. The move has intensified protests by autorickshaw unions and prompted the RTO to order stricter enforcement checks.
The bike-taxi option appeared on the Uber app from Tuesday afternoon, according to autorickshaw drivers quoted by the Times of India. The development came as unions were already protesting Rapido’s continued operations. Members of the Rickshaw Panchayat and other organisations staged a protest outside the Pune collector’s office on Wednesday, demanding action against both companies.
“We are distressed. If the authorities do not take immediate action, we will intensify our protests. These operators are eating into our business and, more importantly, operating illegally,” Nitin Pawar, president of the Rickshaw Panchayat, said.
Keshav Kshirsagar, president of Baghtoy Rikshawala and the Indian Gig Workers Front, demanded that an FIR be registered against Uber. His organisations have planned another protest for November 2. Kshirsagar said an FIR had already been registered against Rapido, but its bike taxis continued to operate, which he attributed to weak enforcement.
Pune RTO officials confirmed that Uber had started offering bike-taxi services in the city and said neither company had obtained permission for the operations. “They are operating illegally, and we have asked our squads to intensify checks and enforcement drives,” a senior RTO official said. The official added that enforcement action was also being taken against bike-taxi riders in Pimpri Chinchwad and that an FIR could be lodged against Uber.
The RTO is also facing the practical challenge of identifying and tracking riders. An RTO source estimated that more than 1,500 bike-taxi riders could be working for Rapido and Uber, with the number potentially increasing. Many are working professionals using the service as part-time employment to supplement their income, the source said.
“Tracking them remains difficult because they operate in a coordinated manner. If one or two riders are caught, they circulate the cellphone numbers used to book their rides, allowing other riders to block those numbers,” the source said.
The dispute places Pune’s app-based mobility market between commuter demand, the livelihood concerns of autorickshaw drivers and the state’s transport regulations. Autorickshaw drivers said they began monitoring other ride-hailing applications after Rapido continued to offer bike taxis despite the FIR. Mohammad Sadiq, an autorickshaw driver from Vimannagar, said drivers noticed Uber’s bike-taxi option on Tuesday.
Commuters, however, have welcomed the additional option. Suraj Chavan, a working professional from Shivajinagar, said bike taxis offered an affordable and convenient alternative. He also alleged that some autorickshaw and cab drivers overcharged passengers, refused rides and fleeced customers. Chavan said bike taxis should be allowed through a formal approval process because they offer quick and affordable transport.
Uber had not responded to a query sent by the Times of India on WhatsApp by the time the report went to press. The Pune police commissioner had earlier told the newspaper that police had asked Google and Apple to remove Rapido’s application from their app stores after the company continued offering bike taxis despite the FIR. The RTO’s enforcement squads are expected to continue checks against bike-taxi riders, while unions have announced further protests.
