Bombay HC asks Rapido to suspend services in Maharashtra

1 min read . Updated: 13 Jan 2023, 10:51 PM IST Priyanka Gawande

Currently, there is no specific state government policy with respect to bike taxis plying in Maharashtra.

The case pertains to illegal plying of bike taxis by Rapido, a Bengaluru-based bike taxi aggregator and logistics service provider

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday directed bike aggregator Rapido Bike Taxi to suspend its services temporarily in Maharashtra or face cancellation of its licence, in a case pertaining to illegal plying of bike taxis in Maharashtra.

An undertaking in this regard has been given by Rapido stating that it will suspend all its services in Maharashtra till 20 January from Friday to 20 January.

Rapido is a bike taxi aggregator and logistics service provider based out of Bengaluru.

Currently, there is no specific state government policy with respect to bike taxis plying in Maharashtra.

A bench comprising justices Gautam S Patel and SG Dige said, “If you (Rapido) make one mistake, we will dismiss this petition. We will ensure that you are restrained from getting a licence permanently, and we will impose costs while dismissing this petition."

If the aggregator does not suspend its services immediately, the court will pass directions to the authorities to permanently prohibit the company from getting any licence, it warned

On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court asked the state government why there was an inordinate delay and uncertainty in formulating a policy pertaining to allowing bike taxis to ply in the state while also pointing out that the issue cannot be left hanging. It also asked the government by when it will make a decision in this regard.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Priyanka Gawande

Priyanka Gawande is a senior legal correspondent at Mint. She has worked as legal reporter for four years with both television and digital mediums. Based in Mumbai, she reports on disputes across sectors including banking, corporates and finance. This also includes insolvency and bankruptcy cases and intellectual property rights (IPR) litigation. Her focus also comprises tracking capital markets and disputes relating to securities law. Previously, Priyanka worked with Informist Media for 2.5 years covering major insolvency and bankruptcy cases and corporate developments. She started her career in journalism with Business Television India (BTVi) where she reported on primary markets, banking, finance and insurance companies.