Notices invoke IT Act after state says aggregators have flouted EV policy, failed on women's safety, and ignored repeated warnings.

The Maharashtra State Cyber Department has issued notices to Apple and Google, directing them to remove ride-hailing applications Uber, Ola and Rapido from their app stores over alleged illegal bike taxi operations in Maharashtra.

Ola, Uber and Rapido have come under heavy scrutiny in the state over its bike taxi services; with Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik recently demanding criminal action against company owners.

The notices were issued on May 15 by the Office of the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Apple and Google were instructed to “remove and disable access" to the applications from the App Store and Play Store.

In the notices, Maharashtra Cyber said the bike taxi services offered through the apps were “unlawful and in violation of the existing legal and regulatory framework". Authorities alleged that the platforms were running passenger transport services “without obtaining valid permissions, government approvals, or compliance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Transport Department and the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act."

The notices also cited concerns related to passenger safety, alleging that driver verification systems, insurance safeguards, women’s safety measures and emergency response mechanisms were “highly inadequate".

“Recently, a serious incident came to light wherein a bike taxi service operated through one of these applications allegedly resulted in the tragic death of a woman. A criminal case has been registered in this regard," the notices stated. They further claimed that several similar cases had been reported across Maharashtra.

The Cyber Department warned Apple and Google that non-compliance with directions issued by Indian law enforcement agencies could attract legal action under the IT Act and intermediary liability rules.

Earlier in the day Pratap Sarnaik told The Indian Express that the state’s crackdown on illegal bike taxi aggregators was a measure to ensure passenger safety and also part of Maharashtra’s broader Electric Vehicle transport policy to push usage of EV vehicles. He said that the state was keen that vehicles being used to provide bike taxi services are Electric vehicles and not petrol vehicles. He however said that the share of EVs being used to provide bike taxi services is minimal.

He said the government’s priority was clear, stating that “women’s safety is more important than employment,” while referring to recent complaints involving bike taxi riders, including an alleged misconduct case involving a woman passenger and multiple police complaints at police stations.

Sarnaik maintained that the state government is not opposed to bike taxis as a concept, but argued that the current issue lies with aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido. He alleged that they have failed to comply with Maharashtra’s EV bike taxi policy framework despite being given temporary permissions to regularise operations and submit required documents.

According to him, the state had already permitted electric bike taxis and issued temporary one-month permissions to aggregators to complete documentation and formalities. However, he said “they have not submitted a single document yet,” and added that they continue operating “thousands of illegal bike taxis on roads, many of them petrol-powered despite the policy allowing only EV bike taxis.”

Sarnaik also referred to a scheme allegedly introduced by Rapido, saying riders were being told the company would reimburse fines imposed during RTO inspections. He described the practice as encouraging continued operations despite enforcement action.

“Rapido has also initiated a new scheme. They’ve told their riders that if the RTO officials conduct inspections on you, you pay the Rs 200 to Rs 500 fine. Later, provide us with a receipt of this challan and we will reimburse you the money.”

The minister said the transport department has now approached the Cybercrime department seeking action against the apps themselves, adding, “If we shut down the app, then the illegal taxis will be shut down.

Source: Indian Express

The sharp rise in petrol and diesel prices has triggered concern among lakhs of delivery workers and app based drivers, with gig worker unions warning that many may be forced to leave the sector if earnings are not revised soon.

The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) on Friday demanded an immediate increase in per kilometre service rates from both the government and major digital platforms after fuel prices were raised by around Rs 3 per litre across the country. The union has also announced a temporary shutdown of app based services from 12 pm to 5 pm tomorrow in protest, according to a report by NDTV.

The union said the increase would directly affect nearly 1.2 crore gig and platform workers who depend on motorcycles and scooters for their daily income. Workers associated with companies such as Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto, Ola, Uber, Rapido, Porter and Amazon Flex travel long distances every day while covering fuel, servicing and maintenance costs themselves.

GIPSWU President Seema Singh described the latest hike as a “direct blow" to workers already struggling with rising expenses and severe heatwave conditions. She urged both the government and companies to introduce a minimum service rate of Rs 20 per kilometre.

“Delivery workers for Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit and others simply cannot bear this," she said, warning that many workers could leave the sector if immediate relief is not provided.

National Coordinator Nirmal Gorana said gig workers were among the worst affected sections of India’s unorganised workforce. He pointed out that while fuel prices, vehicle costs and maintenance expenses have increased sharply, payments offered by digital platforms have not risen in proportion.

He added that women gig workers, delivery staff and drivers were facing particularly difficult working conditions, with many spending 10 to 14 hours a day on the road in heavy traffic and extreme weather to earn enough money.

According to NITI Aayog estimates, India had around 77 lakh gig workers in 2020 and 2021, a number expected to cross 2.3 crore by 2029 and 2030.

Source: News18

Now you can securely connect your financial accounts, see a dashboard of where your money is going, and ask ChatGPT questions grounded in your financial context – all while staying in control of your data.

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Source: OpenAI

Maharashtra bike taxi crackdown intensifies as the state seeks to block Ola, Uber and Rapido services over alleged transport law violations.

Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik has sought an immediate shutdown of bike taxi services run by Ola, Uber and Rapido, along with FIRs against company owners and management. The state alleged that the platforms were operating without valid permissions and lacked adequate passenger safety safeguards.

In a letter dated May 12 to the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, Sarnaik alleged that companies such as Ola, Uber and Rapido have been operating passenger transport services in Maharashtra without valid permissions, government approval or compliance with transport department regulations.

The minister stated that the increasing number of bike taxis, particularly those operated through Rapido, posed a serious threat to public safety. The letter alleged that the services lacked adequate safeguards such as driver verification, insurance protection, women’s safety measures and emergency response mechanisms.

Source: Indian Express

The investment comes as ONDC continues to strengthen its role in India’s digital public infrastructure push, aimed at making ecommerce more open and accessible for small businesses.

The network seeks to help MSMEs reach a wider customer base while reducing dependence on large tech platforms.

Zoho has been working closely with ONDC across multiple commerce and finance offerings, including Vikra, Zoho ERP, Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory, and Zoho Commerce. These tools enable MSMEs to digitise operations, manage inventory, streamline accounting, and connect with customers through the ONDC network.

Source: Inc42

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Source: Dualmark