Delhi government on Wednesday has announced that Ola, Uber and Rapido taxi bikes are banned in Delhi from immediate effect, with conditions. The decision of Delhi government will affect the Ola, Uber and Rapido taxi services in Delhi.According to the official statement, Delhi transport department says that two-wheeler having non transport (private) registration numbers are being used to carry passengers. And they feel that the use of private vehicle in commercial use is violating the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, that would make aggregators liable for a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The move will affect many passengers who rely on Ola, Uber and Rapido bike taxi service in Delhi. Thousands of people use affordable bike taxis so they can zip through the slow-moving traffic of Delhi. Also, the service is providing employment to hundreds of bikers who use their private bike to transport the passengers.However, cab aggregators are yet to offer a response in this and few apps are still providing the service. In this case, Delhi Police has already stated the checking of the bikes associated with the Ola, Uber and Rapido apps. If the offence is repeated, the driver will get suspended for at least three years.The notice by the Delhi transport department clearly states that the ban on bike taxis will come into effect immediately. The government notice adds out that if service providers like Ola, Uber, and Rapido riders continue to provide bike taxi service in Delhi, then a fee of Rs 5,000 will be charged. A fine of Rs 10,000 as well as jail term will be assessed if the offence is committed a second time or later.The Delhi government has proposed the electric bikes for the aggregators to avoid the penalties as it prepares an aggregators policy for the cab divers.The decision of Delhi government came after the Supreme Court banned the Rapido service in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra state government denied Rapidos motorbike taxis licences in January on the grounds that there were no legal laws governing their licencing, safety, and price schedules. The Bombay High Court also ruled that the company must stop operating since it lacked a valid licence.Another big concern for the bike taxis is that they dont not have any arrangements for the emergency button, which poses threat to women passengers safety.As of now, booking bike cabs is still an option on Uber and Ola in Delhi. This might alter after an update, though, and continue until the rules are changed. In accordance with a formal statement “These clauses dont exist. According to the existing law, taxi services are available anywhere there is a driver and multiple passengers. Only four-wheeled taxis, auto-rickshaws, and e-rickshaws are permitted under this bikes are not. The operation of taxi services is subject to a number of regulations and requirements, including the need for yellow number plates, PSV badges, which are provided following police verification, and drivers attendance at behaviour training courses.”Rapido, Ola, and Uber have not yet released a statement. Kailash Gahlot, a Delhi MLA and minister of transportation, also tweeted about the warning. The tweet states, “Aggregator policy for 2 Wheelers, 3 Wheelers and 4 Wheelers is in its final stage & will be rolled out soon helping them to apply for grant of license under the new scheme.”Some gig workers in Telangana also protested in December against these taxis. They wrote to the government, asking them to act against the private vehicles being operated as taxi bikes in the state.According to a report, Indias motor bike taxi market was valued at 50 million dollar and was expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2030.
