50 Rapido, Ola bike taxis seized by Hyd RTO for improper number plates

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Road Transport Authority seized over 50 motorbikes from Rapido, Ola, and Uber drivers on Friday

"All the bikes seized have been identified as personal vehicles. These bikes cannot be used for commercial reasons under the Motor Vehicle Act," said J. Panduranga Nayak, joint transport commissioner, RTO, Hyderabad.

The Taxi Cab Registration Mark must be in black on a yellow background, according to Rule 50,51 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1989. "The majority of the bikes have been discovered to violate this rule and operate bike taxis with incorrect registration plates. As a result, the bikes have been seized," he explained.

Shaik Salauddin, state president of the Telangana Gig And Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), has demanded action against the companies (Rapido, Ola, and Uber) for violating the MV Act.

"Personal automobiles should not be used for commercial purposes, according to the company's requirements. However, the company guidelines do not state this," Shaik explained. He believes it is important to hold companies accountable rather than the drivers.

In the last week of January 2022, RTOs in Karnataka, Chennai, and Maharashtra seized approximately 120 bikes and charged each seized vehicle owner a fine of Rs. 10,000 to 15,000. After Karnataka police did something similar in the first week of February 2022, the Pune RTO team detained 65 motorcycles offering taxi services in Pune.

"The RTOs are arresting and charging bike taxi drivers while taking no action against the company," Shaik explained.

He added, "Auto-rickshaw and cab/taxi drivers are suffering as a result of the use of bike taxis as they are getting fewer rides as bike taxis are charging less for their services since they do not have to pay road permits, taxes, and licence fees for operating a commercial vehicle."

The TGPWU president demanded that all private motorbikes used as bike taxis be banned in Telangana immediately.

"The state government should also immediately put a cap on attaching new cars for bike taxis and deliveries in Telangana. Rapido, Ola, and Uber bike taxi operations should adhere to the Motor Vehicles Act, and registration for commercial operation of bike taxis on city roadways should be initiated promptly by Rapido, Ola, and Uber for all associated bike taxis. The government should direct these corporations to bear the cost of the penalties imposed on Telangana bike taxi entrepreneurs," he further said.