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 enforcement action against operators using privately registered two-wheelers to carry passengers commercially. The unions alleged that bike taxi services had resumed in the city without the necessary approvals.
The memorandum raised objections to the use of motorcycles bearing private registration plates for paid passenger transport. The unions asked the Regional Transport Office to examine whether the services were operating in compliance with applicable rules and to initiate criminal proceedings against companies found to be running them without authorisation.
The organisations also alleged that the operations involved tax evasion and were being conducted in violation of court orders. They questioned how bike taxi services had resumed in Pune despite what they described as judicial directions restricting the use of privately registered two-wheelers as taxis. These claims were made by the unions in their representation and have not been independently established in the material available for this report.
The dispute places the transport department at the centre of a continuing conflict between app-based two-wheeler passenger services and established autorickshaw operators. For commuters, the issue affects the availability and legal status of a transport option that uses motorcycles for paid trips. For regulators, it involves determining whether the vehicles, companies and operating model meet the permissions and registration requirements applicable to commercial passenger transport.
The unions referred to an autorickshaw drivers’ agitation in 2019, after which a case was registered against Rapido, according to their memorandum. The matter subsequently reached the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court. The unions cited those earlier proceedings while demanding a clear position from the transport department on the bike taxi services currently active in Pune.
Their eight-day deadline is now the immediate trigger for the next phase of the dispute. The unions have said they will intensify their agitation if criminal proceedings are not initiated against operators they allege are running unauthorised services. The supplied report does not include a response from the transport department or details of any decision by the authorities on the latest representation.
