Several posts regarding the complete ban on Taxi service apps such as Ola, Uber and Rapido in Maharashtra have been circulating online. But has the state government really made any such announcement? Here’s what the actual news is.
The Maharashtra government has dismissed the claims, clarifying that cab aggregator platforms Ola, Uber and Rapido have not been shut down in the state.
The announcement comes after Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik directed the Cyber Crime department to take immediate action against unauthorised bike taxi operations being run through these platforms on May 16.
According to the state government, only illegal and unauthorised bike taxi services are under scrutiny, while regular cab and authorised transport operations continue as usual across Maharashtra.
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In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), Maharashtra, cleared that the social media claims of a complete shutdown of the platforms are ‘misleading.’ It also reiterated the Transport Minister’s demand of taking action against illegal and unauthorised bike taxi services operating throughout the state.
The department also stated that the Transport Minister had written to the Cyber Crime department seeking immediate action against unauthorised bike taxi app services operating through Ola, Uber and Rapido. He also asked the department to file FIRs against the companies over unauthorised bike taxi operations in the state.
“At the same time, the Transport Commissioner has also sent a letter to the Cyber Crime department in this regard,” the post further noted.
महाराष्ट्रात ओला, उबर आणि रॅपिडोच्या सर्व सेवा पूर्णपणे बंद करण्यात आल्याचा सोशल मीडियावरील दावा दिशाभूल करणारा आहे. #FactCheck #DGIPRFactCheck
राज्यात बेकायदेशीरपणे सुरू असलेल्या अनधिकृत बाईक टॅक्सी सेवांविरोधात परिवहन विभागाने कठोर भूमिका घेतली आहे. #ओला, #उबर आणि #रॅपिडो… pic.twitter.com/69jjCPbNbc
— MAHARASHTRA DGIPR (@MahaDGIPR) May 15, 2026
The companies have not yet issued official comments on the development.
ALSO READ: Bike Taxis Now Banned In Maharashtra? Here’s What Transport Minister Says
Why Is Maharashtra Cracking Down On Bike Taxi Services?
The government’s action follows a fatal bike taxi accident that took place near the Airoli flyover on the Mulund-Goregaon Link Road in Mumbai on November 29, 2025.
A 49-year-old woman reportedly lost her life after the two-wheeler she was travelling on was hit from behind by a cement mixer truck. Investigations later revealed that the rider was allegedly operating an unapproved private motorcycle that did not match the vehicle registered on the Uber platform.
Following the incident, the Maharashtra transport department registered a criminal case against the directors of Uber India for allowing the use of private vehicles for commercial operations.
The state government has since intensified its scrutiny of app-based bike taxi services operating without proper authorisation.
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