Follow us on Google News
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Crime Branch (CID-CB) has ordered ride-hailing aggregators Uber and Rapido to discontinue bike taxi services operated using private two-wheelers across the state. Both companies have been given a 15-day ultimatum to comply with the directive. According to officials, carrying fare-paying passengers on two-wheelers registered with private number plates violates the Motor Vehicles Act and state transport regulations.
The enforcement action follows special reports submitted by the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) of Cuttack, Bhubaneswar-1, and Bhubaneswar-2. These reports alleged that two-wheelers registered under the non-transport category were being widely used for commercial passenger transport through app-based platforms.
Distinction Between Commercial and Private Vehicles
Transport officials emphasized that there is a clear legal distinction between vehicles registered for commercial passenger transport and those meant for personal use. While commercial transport vehicles carry yellow number plates, private or non-transport two-wheelers are issued white number plates.
Officials stated that vehicles registered under the private category cannot be legally deployed to ferry passengers for hire. Despite these restrictions, authorities received complaints that bike taxi rides were being operated using private vehicles via aggregator applications. Based on these findings, the Crime Branch instructed both companies to immediately halt all unauthorized bookings.
Geo-Fencing Measures to Block Unauthorized Bookings
The Inspector General of the CID-Crime Branch has written to the nodal officers of Uber and Rapido, directing them to implement technical safeguards to stop the practice. The companies have been asked to use geo-fencing or other technological tools to block bike taxi bookings involving private two-wheelers within Odisha. Geo-fencing allows digital restrictions to be enforced within a defined geographical boundary, enabling platforms to disable non-transport two-wheeler bookings across the state.
At the same time, the Crime Branch clarified that the restriction applies strictly to bike taxi services operated on private two-wheelers. Authorized cab and auto-rickshaw services running on Uber and Rapido will remain unaffected and can continue operating normally across Odisha.
Legal Violation and Compliance Deadline
Authorities have classified the current operation of private bike taxis as a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Odisha On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Guidelines, 2023. These rules outline the legal framework for operating transport services and define the regulatory responsibilities of aggregator platforms.
Both Uber and Rapido have been directed to enforce the technical restrictions within 15 days of receiving the notice. Following implementation, they must submit a detailed compliance report to the CID-Crime Branch office and the State Transport Authority (STA), specifying the effective date of the ban and the technical mechanisms deployed to prevent unauthorized bookings.
The Crime Branch has warned that failure to comply within the stipulated 15-day period will invite regulatory and legal action in coordination with the State Transport Authority and other concerned departments. While the directive may impact commuters relying on bike taxis for short-distance travel, officials maintained that the step is aimed at ensuring strict adherence to transport laws without disrupting authorized cab and auto services.
