Pune Police Ask Google, Apple To Remove Rapido App Over Bike Taxi Operations

Pune Police has written to Google and Apple seeking the removal of Rapido’s app from their respective app stores over its alleged unauthorised bike taxi operations in the city.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told the Times of India that communications had been sent to the two companies requesting the app’s removal.

Inc42 has reached out to Rapido for comment. The story will be updated on receiving a response.

The move follows an FIR against Rapido’s parent entity, Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd, for allegedly operating bike taxi services without the required licence and regulatory approvals. The FIR was registered at Vishrantwadi police station following an enforcement drive by the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO).

Earlier, Pune district collector and Regional Transport Authority (RTA) chairperson Jitendra Dudi had directed Rapido to suspend its bike taxi operations across Pune district until it secured an ebike taxi aggregator licence.

According to TOI, Rapido’s application for permission to operate bike taxis remains pending with the transport department.

The FIR alleges that Rapido facilitated paid passenger rides on two-wheelers registered as non-transport vehicles. The alleged violation came to light when Pune RTO motor vehicle inspector Prasad Govardhan Surwase booked a ride through the app during the enforcement drive.

It also refers to an October 15 notice warning the platform against unauthorised operations and an earlier notice issued by the Transport Commissioner’s Office on April 29, 2025.

According to the FIR, Rapido applied for an aggregator licence with the Transport Commissioner’s Office in Mumbai on August 11, 2026, but the application remained pending at the time of the alleged violation.

The complaint also alleges inadequate driver background checks, raising concerns about passenger safety, particularly for women.

Wider Scrutiny Of Aggregators

Separately, Dudi directed cab aggregators to submit monthly fare data to the district administration and display RTA-approved fares separately on their apps, following complaints from autorickshaw and cab drivers about alleged fare violations.

According to Dudi, drivers must receive 80% of the RTA base fare, while passenger fares can range from 50% below the base fare to 1.5 times that amount. Complaints about driver underpayment and passengers being charged beyond the permitted range prompted the monthly reporting requirement.

The directions followed a meeting with representatives of driver unions and aggregators. Dudi warned of legal action over continued unauthorised bike taxi operations and said Rapido could not resume the service without a licence. 

Rapido’s efforts to secure permission to operate in Pune date back to 2022, when its licence application was rejected, triggering proceedings before the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court.

In January 2023, the Bombay High Court directed Rapido to stop operating its app. The following month, the SC disposed of the related petitions, allowing the platform to approach the High Court to challenge Maharashtra’s January 2023 notification prohibiting the aggregation and pooling of rides using non-transport vehicles. 

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