Pune’s autorickshaw unions have given the transport department eight days to initiate criminal proceedings against companies allegedly operating bike taxi services without the required permissions, warning that they will intensify their protest if action is not taken.
A delegation representing several rickshaw organisations met Pune Regional Transport Officer Archana Gaikwad and submitted a memorandum demanding an inquiry into the use of privately registered two-wheelers for commercial passenger transport. The unions alleged that bike taxi operators were active in the city without the necessary approvals.
The representation questioned the legality of motorcycles carrying private registration plates being used to provide paid passenger services. The unions also alleged that such operations resulted in tax evasion and were being conducted in violation of court orders. These claims were made in the memorandum submitted to the transport department and have not been independently established in the material available for this report.
The unions further questioned the resumption of bike taxi services in Pune, alleging that operators had returned despite judicial directions restricting the use of privately registered two-wheelers as taxis. The applicability of the cited orders to the services currently operating in the city will have to be assessed by the authorities.
Their demand is for the transport department to examine whether the operators have the permissions required to provide commercial passenger transport and to initiate criminal action against companies found to be operating outside the applicable rules. The memorandum asks the department to take a clear position on the legal status of bike taxis in Pune.
The dispute revives an earlier conflict between autorickshaw unions and app-based bike taxi services. According to the memorandum, autorickshaw drivers staged an agitation in 2019, after which a case was registered against Rapido. The matter subsequently reached the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court, which the unions cited in support of their demand for enforcement action.
The immediate issue is whether the transport department considers the current bike taxi operations authorised under the applicable transport framework. That decision has implications for how privately registered motorcycles can be used for paid passenger travel, what permits or approvals operators must hold, and which agencies are responsible for enforcement.
The eight-day deadline set by the unions adds pressure to an already contested part of Pune’s mobility system. Autorickshaw drivers have framed the issue as one of regulatory compliance and equal enforcement, while the legal status of the bike taxi operations remains to be determined by the competent authorities.
The unions have said they will intensify their agitation if criminal proceedings are not initiated against operators they allege are running unauthorised services within eight days. The transport department’s response and any subsequent enforcement action will determine the next stage of the dispute.
