Pune police have registered a case against Ropen Transport Private Limited, which operates the Rapido platform, over alleged illegal passenger transport through petrol-powered bike taxis in the city. The case followed a complaint by Prasad Surwase, a motor vehicle inspector with the Regional Transport Office (RTO), at the Vishrantwadi police station.
According to the police information cited in the complaint, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) had not permitted petrol-engine two-wheelers to operate as bike taxis for passenger transport in Pune. The complaint alleges that Rapido nevertheless developed an app through which passengers could register online and access such transport services.
The RTO approached the police after the use of the app for passenger transport was reportedly detected. The complaint alleges that the company carried out unauthorised passenger transport and thereby caused loss to or cheated the government. These are allegations recorded in the complaint and will be examined during the investigation.
Police have registered the case under Section 318(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Information Technology Act, according to the report. The sections cited in the case relate to the allegations made by the transport department and do not, by themselves, establish the company’s liability.
The action places the regulatory status of app-based bike taxi services in Pune at the centre of the dispute. While the service model allows passengers to book two-wheelers through a digital platform, its operation depends on whether the relevant transport authorities have authorised the vehicle category and the passenger service. In this case, the RTO’s complaint states that the RTA had not granted permission for petrol bike taxis.
The case also illustrates how enforcement is being pursued through both transport regulation and criminal law when an app is alleged to have enabled a service that lacks the required approval. The complaint identifies the RTO as the initiating authority, while the Vishrantwadi police will investigate the alleged transport activity, the role of the application and the legal provisions invoked.
Police Sub-Inspector Raut is conducting the further investigation. The supplied report does not provide details of the number of rides, passengers, drivers or vehicles involved, nor does it include a response from Rapido. The next developments will depend on the investigation into the complaint and the evidence gathered by the police.
