The Maharashtra government said on May 15, 2026 that social media claims alleging a complete shutdown of ride-hailing services Ola, Uber and Rapido across the state were misleading. In a post on X, the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) stated: “The claim circulating on social media that all services of Ola, Uber, and Rapido have been completely shut down in Maharashtra is misleading.”
The clarification made clear that the government is targeting unauthorised bike-taxi operations, not app-based cab services as a whole. The DGIPR noted the state transport department has taken a firm stance against illegal bike-taxi services operating without proper licences or compliance with regulations.
The announcement followed action by Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who has asked the Cyber Crime department to register FIRs against the companies over alleged illegal bike-taxi operations. The DGIPR quoted the minister as saying he demanded “the immediate shutdown of unauthorised bike taxi app services like Ola, Uber, and Rapido, and the filing of FIRs against the respective company owners.”
In a letter to the department earlier in the week, Sarnaik said app-based bike services did not meet safety standards and posed a serious threat to public safety. He flagged deficiencies including inadequate passenger safeguards, poor verification, insufficient insurance coverage, weak women’s safety measures and a lack of emergency response systems. “Several complaints have been received from women, and FIRs have also been registered in cases of alleged harassment and fraud,” he told reporters, adding that illegal operations must be checked if RTOs do not act.
Ola, Uber and Rapido have not yet issued official comments on the DGIPR statement or the minister’s directive. The dispute highlights recurring tensions over bike-taxi services in Maharashtra, which have repeatedly faced legal and regulatory challenges related to licensing, vehicle norms and compliance with transport rules.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/uber-ola-rapido-to-shut-down-in-maharashtra-government-fact-checks-claim-11504752#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-05-16 17:36:00
