MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition that alleged illegal plying of bike taxis using private vehicles in the city. The court also took the opportunity to criticise the city’s traditional auto and taxi services, remarking that they often operate like a cartel.
A bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale came down heavily on four auto rickshaw drivers who had filed the petition, urging the court to enforce restrictions against bike taxis operated by aggregators like Rapido, claiming these services were using white number plates designated for private vehicles instead of the required yellow-and-black transport plates, thus operating illegally and affecting their livelihood.
The court, however, declined to intervene, observing that the petition appeared aimed at creating a monopoly. “You want to indirectly take an order and put pressure on them (bike services). There cannot be a monopoly. If a single person has to travel, then it is better to take a bike than an auto or taxi,” the judges said.
This ruling follows the state government’s recent notification of the Maharashtra Bike-Taxi Rules, 2025, on July 4, which paves the way for the regulated operation of app-based bike taxis, subject to licensing, safety, and operational compliance.
While the petitioners claimed they were merely seeking enforcement of the rules against unlicensed vehicles, the bench was unpersuaded. The court highlighted the common experience of commuters, stating, “Everyone has seen the high-handedness of auto rickshaw and taxi drivers. That is why people prefer alternatives. Try catching a rickshaw during the monsoon.”
They further pointed out the irony in the petitioners’ argument, asserting, “This will stop only when you stop refusing to take people. We have seen on the streets how taxi and rickshaw drivers treat customers—their language, tone, and high-handedness. Each one of us has faced this.”
The court criticised the perceived entitlement of traditional transport operators, adding, “Tomorrow you will say even the metro should not start. It is because of the high-handedness of the kaali peelis that Ola and Uber started picking up.”
The court specifically called out the alleged practice of rickshaw drivers forming informal cartels, refusing passengers, and preventing others from taking them. Ultimately, with the bench indicating it would dismiss the petition, the petitioners chose to withdraw it.