In a move aimed at easing rising traffic congestion in Maharashtra’s cities, the state government has suspended the issuance of new permits for auto rickshaws and app-based taxis, while operations of app-based bike taxis have been completely halted. The decision was announced on Monday by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.
According to the minister, the step was taken following concerns over irregularities in permit allocation and the growing number of vehicles contributing to traffic congestion, particularly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and other urban centres.
Sarnaik explained that the permit system was originally introduced to help economically weaker sections earn a livelihood by purchasing vehicles and operating them commercially. However, over time the number of rickshaws and taxis on the roads increased significantly.
“In Maharashtra, almost 14 lakh permits for auto rickshaw have been given till date. This led to rise in complaints of traffic congestions and pollution in the MMR region and other urban cities,” Sarnaik told the media. “A lot of individuals from the auto rickshaw associations came to me with complaints about the livelihood of rickshaw drivers as a result of the surge in permits,” he added.
The transport department receives between five and 50 permit applications daily, Sarnaik said, but these requests will now be temporarily paused. “From today, on our website and the 60 RTOs that we have informed, we have temporarily suspended permits for rickshaws,” he said. The matter has also been raised with Nitin Gadkari, and a final decision is awaited.
“I had a meeting with Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Transport. I had sent a letter to the central government and asked them to take a decision on auto rickshaw drivers,” Sarnaik said.
The minister also cited law-and-order concerns behind the decision. Authorities received reports that some permits had allegedly been issued to individuals involved in criminal activities, with complaints of theft and other offences linked to vehicles operating on city roads.
“Many incidents are happening. Many complaints have been lodged at police stations,” Sarnaik said.
He further stated that during verification in certain cases, individuals suspected to be illegal migrants from Bangladesh were found to possess valid transport permits and identity documents such as Aadhaar cards. “At some places, the Bangladeshi police have caught them. Later, we came to know that the Bangladeshis have a permit from the state government, they have an Aadhaar card,” Sarnaik claimed.
He further went on to say, “As the head of the RTO and our department, we have cancelled all their permits. We have cancelled their licence. The police will do their enquiry.”
The state government has also suspended app-based bike taxi services operated by companies such as Ola, Uber and Rapido.
Sarnaik said that although electric bike taxis were earlier permitted on a pilot basis to encourage cleaner mobility, several operators allegedly violated the conditions by using petrol bikes or running services without proper documentation.
A committee formed by the state reviewed the issue and recommended withdrawing the permissions granted to such operators. As a result, licences issued to these companies have been revoked for now.
However, the minister clarified that the suspension is temporary and that services may resume if companies comply with government regulations. “In Maharashtra, the state government had given permission to use electric bikes on a temporary basis for a month. But companies like Ola, Uber and Rapido have misused it. From today, the licences that were given to Ola, Uber and Rapido have to be revoked. But it is only temporary. If they follow our norms and the terms and conditions of the permits, we will give the permits again,” Sarnaik said.
Source: The Print
