Maharashtra Mandates EV Shift for Bike Taxi Aggregators by July 2027

Rapido, Ola, and Uber are among the bike taxi aggregators that the Maharashtra government has ordered to switch to electric vehicles by July 2027. The aggregators were asked by the state transport department to phase out petrol-powered bike taxis over the next nine months in a letter that was sent earlier this month.

The directive is in accordance with what Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed. At the outset, the proposed strategy gives ride-hailing platforms six months to meet the electric-vehicle requirement. An extra three months will be granted to bike taxi operators that have sought interim or provisional licences under the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025.

Bike Taxi Aggregators Highlighted Major Roadblocks for EV’s Growth

This comes after the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association wrote to the chief minister, state minister of transport and the commissioner of transportation, addressing the matter. The association had hoped that aggregators would have 18 months to finish the changeover. Many bike taxi riders are from middle-class or lower-middle-class families, and the group is worried about the financial strain this shift puts on them.

Concerns about the longevity of electric vehicles and the lack of a widespread network for charging them have also been mentioned. Drivers who rely on the bike for many shifts require an adequate number of public or commercial charging points in high-demand locations, although home charging is sufficient for overnight use. Battery range is also a big issue for bike aggregators. It will be more convenient to use an electric bike that doesn't require a mid-day recharge to finish a typical shift. In order to maintain a consistent fleet size, aggregators may need to provide riders with access to backed up vehicles, battery swaps, charging agreements and financing.

Reports indicate that ride-hailing services requested an extension until 2030 in order to give themselves more time to switch their fleets. The transition will instead take place in nine months, according to the state government. This comes four months after Sarnaik announced that the Maharashtra government would temporarily charge illegal bike taxi services INR 5 per day. In addition, he said that aggregators would have to put 2% of each ride's fare into a welfare fund for bike taxi drivers.

Maharashtra Govt. Putting Bike Taxi Under Strict Scanner

In July 2025, the Maharashtra Bike-Taxi Rules, 2025, were notified by the state government, making bike taxis legal in the state. In the beginning, local officials gave Ola, Uber, and Rapido temporary 30-day licences so that they could switch to electric bike taxis. Legally, a bike taxi must be an electric two-wheeler that is yellow and clearly designated as such. In March 2026, the platforms' provisional licences were revoked by the state government due to their alleged failure to comply.

Aggregators using unlicensed gasoline-powered bike taxis were subject to enforcement action after the revocation. Between April 2025 and March 2026, local authorities collected a total of INR 16.25 lakh in fines for unlawful bike taxi activities. Then, in April and May of the same year, another INR 2.31 lakh in fines were collected.