Amboli police have filed an FIR against directors of Ola and Rapido for allegedly running bike-taxi services in the city without approvals from the Maharashtra government and the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), reported the news agency IANS. According to the complaint by RTO (Regional Transport Office), police said both app-based running taxi services violated the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020 and Section 66 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The case against Ola and Rapido was filed on Friday, December 5, at the Amboli Police Station by the RTO. The police said both companies are running their two-wheeler taxi services within the city limits through their mobile applications without approval.
The RTO, in its complaint to the police, said both companies were illegally giving service to passengers, raising passenger safety concerns. Case registered under multiple sections, including 193, 197, 192(A), 93, 66, and BNS 123, 318(3), said the police.
As per the complaint by RTO, companies failed to verify their drivers' character certificates and to follow safety measures, therefore endangering the lives of commuters. Rapido had earlier applied to the RTA in Pune for a licence under the name Roppen Transportation, but its application was rejected on December 20, 2022, Hindustan Times reported.
Rapido then challenged the decision before the Bombay High Court, which on January 13, 2023, directed to shut down its application-based operations for bike taxis. When Rapido appealed against the decision again, the company’s plea was yet again dismissed. Despite this, the FIR alleges, Rapido continued its bike-taxi services.