Bombay High Court rejects petition of Rapido over plying bike-taxi in Pune

On Friday, the Bombay High Court rejected a petition filed by bike-taxi aggregator Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd, also known as Rapido, challenging the Pune Regional Transport Office's (RTO) refusal to grant a licence to operate two- and three-wheeler taxis. 

According to the report, the bike-taxi aggregator was asked to suspend its operations in Maharashtra by the Bombay High Court after it was discovered that it did not have a licence to operate from the state government.

Rapido's plea has been rejected on "no merit" grounds. The bench of justice hearing the plea pointed out that there are contradictions in Rapido's stand. On the one hand, it says that a licence cannot be rejected on the ground of the absence of state policy on two-wheelers; on the other hand, it cites the absence of a state policy for non-compliance with the Motor Vehicle Aggregator's Guidelines 2020 issued by the central government.

"It is difficult to see how both arguments can exist. When noncompliance is pointed out, the absence of guidelines is cited. We do not understand how an aggregator can lay claim to operating without a licence and against the guidelines. It is also not right to say that the rejection was solely on the lack of policy. The order would have to be seen with its notings," the Bench observed.

The court also added that the Centre's Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020 may not apply to the state as the state is allowed to make its own rules and the aggregator cannot thus assume it has permission to ply.