Rapido has been booked in Pune after the Regional Transport Office alleged that the company was facilitating passenger transport through petrol-powered two-wheelers without permission from the Regional Transport Authority. The case was registered by the Vishrantwadi police on the complaint of motor vehicle inspector Prasad Survase.
According to information provided by the police, the case has been registered against Ropen Transport Pvt. Ltd., which operates Rapido, under Section 318(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Information Technology Act. Police Sub-Inspector Raut is investigating the matter.
The complaint states that the Regional Transport Authority had not permitted bike taxis using petrol-engine two-wheelers to carry passengers. Despite this, the RTO found that Rapido had created an application for passenger transport and that rides were being arranged online through the platform.
The alleged operation highlights the regulatory gap faced by app-based mobility services, where a digital platform can connect passengers and vehicle operators even when the underlying transport service has not received the required permission. In this case, the RTO treated the online registration and passenger transport activity as a matter requiring police action.
Motor vehicle inspector Survase alleged in the complaint that the company had deceived the government by conducting passenger transport illegally. The FIR records the allegation; the investigation will establish the specific role of the company and the circumstances in which the rides were arranged.
For passengers, the case raises an immediate question about the regulatory status of petrol-powered bike taxis operating through digital applications in Pune. The police account specifically states that such services had not been permitted by the Regional Transport Authority. The case therefore concerns both the operation of the vehicles on city roads and the use of an app to organise the service.
The action also places responsibility on transport regulators and law-enforcement agencies to clarify how app-based passenger services are to be monitored. While the RTO initiated the complaint, the Vishrantwadi police will now examine the allegations under the laws cited in the FIR.
The investigation is being conducted by Police Sub-Inspector Raut. No further details about arrests, the number of vehicles involved or the company’s response were provided in the report.
