Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik decided to test a claim for himself after an official assured him that there was no illegal bike taxi service operating in Mumbai. Rather than merely relying on the report, the minister ordered a ride through the Rapido app with a fictitious name, from Mantralaya to Dadar.
A bike rider arrived at the pick-up point within 10 minutes to the astonishment of the minister.
Sarnaik revealed his identity to the rider and told him that app-based bike taxi services were still not legal in Mumbai. “I’m the Transport Minister. These rules are made for your benefit,” he said. He offered the rider ₹500 for coming, but the rider politely refused.
मंत्रालय येथूनचं ट्रॅप ऑपरेशन – अनधिकृत रॅपिडो बाईक टॅक्सी सेवांवर थेट कारवाई…#PratapSarnaik #TransportMinister#MaharashtraTransport #ActionAgainstIllegalBikeTaxi@rapidobikeapp pic.twitter.com/K81GiHydIb
— Pratap Baburao Sarnaik (@PratapSarnaik) July 2, 2025
The minister clarified that no action would be taken against the rider. “We don’t want to trouble people like you. We aim to target those operating these illegal services,” he stated.
So far, Maharashtra has not permitted any app-based bike taxi service providers. Though a new policy for e-bikes has been released, the guidelines have not yet been notified. While FIRs have already been registered against the likes of Rapido and Uber for running without a lawful sanction.
