Pune’s Regional Transport Office has registered an FIR against Rapido’s operator, Roppen Transport Services Private Limited, alleging that the company facilitated bike-taxi operations using petrol two-wheelers registered for non-transport purposes and without the required approvals.
The FIR was registered at Vishrantwadi police station at around 11.45 pm on Friday, following a directive issued by Pune Collector Jitendra Dudi, who heads the Regional Transport Authority. Dudi had instructed the company to stop its bike-taxi operations within 24 hours and warned that failure to comply could lead to legal action.
According to the complaint, Rapido’s bike-taxi service allegedly used vehicles that were not authorised for commercial passenger transport. The transport department has raised concerns that such operations could bypass requirements applicable to commercial vehicles and create safety risks for commuters.
RTO Inspector Prasad Survase filed the complaint on behalf of the transport department. The case has been registered as FIR No. 0517/2026. Police have invoked Section 318(8) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 66, 93, 192(A), 193 and 197 of the Motor Vehicles Act and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.
The action follows the transport authority’s warning to Rapido to discontinue the service within the stipulated period. The complaint alleges that Roppen Transport Services enabled rides through vehicles that lacked the necessary transport permissions or approvals. The investigation is expected to examine the company’s role in facilitating the service and whether the vehicles used for the rides complied with applicable regulations.
The case places Pune’s app-based two-wheeler passenger services under renewed regulatory scrutiny. Unlike vehicles registered for non-transport use, commercial passenger vehicles are subject to specific permissions and regulatory requirements under the motor vehicle framework. The RTO’s complaint centres on whether those requirements were met by the vehicles used for Rapido rides.
The FIR does not by itself establish guilt, and the allegations remain under investigation. The police and transport authorities will determine the facts of the case through the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings. The immediate administrative action was triggered by the 24-hour shutdown directive issued by the Regional Transport Authority.
