Nagpur RTO alleges Rapido operated petrol-powered bike taxi services without state approval after an enforcement drive found a private two-wheeler being used for commercial passenger transport
The founders of bike taxi platform Rapido have been booked in Nagpur for allegedly running petrol-powered bike taxi services in Maharashtra without obtaining the necessary approvals from the state government, police officials.
The case has been registered at Sitabuldi police station against Rishikesh S R, Pavan Guntupalli and Aravind Sanka, founders of Roopen Transportation Services Private Limited, the company behind the Rapido app. The complaint was lodged by Vishal Madhukarrao Bhovte, a Motor Vehicle Inspector with the Nagpur (City) Regional Transport Office (RTO), on behalf of the Maharashtra government.
According to the complaint, the RTO carried out a special enforcement drive against unauthorised passenger transport services on 23 June. During the operation, officials booked a ride through the Rapido app from Ravi Bhavan to Priyadarshini Colony for ₹22 to verify compliance with transport regulations.
“The bike (MH-31/GC-0850) reached the pickup point and was later brought to the RTO office for inspection. It was found that a private two-wheeler was allegedly being used as a bike taxi without the required licence or permit. The vehicle was seized and action was taken under the Motor Vehicles Act,” the official said.
The complaint further stated that Rapido had not secured approval from either the Maharashtra government or the Regional Transport Authority to operate petrol-powered bike taxi services in the state.
It also alleged that the platform facilitated the commercial use of privately registered two-wheelers for passenger transport, in violation of transport regulations. The complaint claimed that such operations compromised passenger safety and resulted in revenue losses for the government.
Police said the FIR has been registered under Sections 318(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 66, 93, 192A, 193 and 199 of the Motor Vehicles Act, along with Section 66(d) of the Information Technology Act.
Officials said further investigation into the matter is underway.
(With input from agency)
