Transport Minister Books Rapido Ride Under Alias, Exposes Ongoing Illegal Bike Taxi Operations In Mumbai
Mumbai, 3rd July 2025: In a reality check on Mumbai’s transport enforcement, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik personally booked a ride through the “Rapido” app to verify claims that illegal bike taxis were no longer operating in the city. Contrary to what senior transport officials had assured him, a bike taxi promptly arrived at the pickup point near Mantralaya within ten minutes.
Sarnaik, using a false name on the app, booked the ride to Dadar. Upon the rider’s arrival, the minister revealed his identity, telling the startled driver, “I am the Transport Minister.”
He offered the rider ₹500 as a gesture for his cooperation, saying, “You came here to do your assigned work, for that I am giving you ₹500.” However, the rider respectfully declined the payment.
Sarnaik clarified that the rider would not face any legal consequences. “We will not gain anything by filing a case against a poor hardworking person. But the people behind the illegal operation should be punished,” he stated.
The incident has raised serious questions about the disconnect between official claims and ground-level enforcement. Despite previous assurances, app-based bike taxi services continue to operate in the city, even though they are not yet approved by the State Government.
Under Maharashtra’s e-bike policy, only companies that meet specific criteria will be permitted to run services in cities with populations exceeding one lakh. However, the policy has yet to be formally implemented, rendering such operations technically illegal.
Just last month, the Transport Commissioner’s office filed an FIR against Rapido and Uber at the Azad Maidan Police Station for allegedly running unauthorized bike taxi services in the state.
