Autorickshaw drivers and cabbies protesting against bike taxis in front of Pune collector office on Monday
Pune: Collector Jitendra Dudi has assured cab and auto associations that senior Rapido executives would be named in an FIR registered on Oct 16 for operating bike taxis without approval, Keshav Kshirsagar, president of Baghtoy Rickshawaala and Indian Gig Workers Front, said on Monday. The Pune regional transport office (RTO) registered an FIR on Oct 16 against Roppen Transport Services Pvt Ltd, which operates Rapido. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
We told the collector that action against individual bike taxi operators was not enough. He understood our concerns and said senior Rapido executives would be named in the FIR. We believe this will put greater pressure on the company to stop the unauthorised operations,” Kshirsagar said. If the situation does not improve, we will resume our agitation and intensify it,” he said.
This comes after a protest outside the collectorate against unauthorised bike taxi operations and aggregators’ alleged failure to comply with govt norms on regional transport authority (RTA)-approved fares. “We submitted a memorandum outlining our demands and pointed out that bike taxis continued to operate freely despite an FIR being registered. Uber had also started offering the service. Commissioner Amitesh Kumar then wrote to Google and Apple seeking removal of the service from their app platforms. “Officials make several assurances, but we will wait and see whether there is any actual change on ground. The collector also assured us that autorickshaw drivers and cab operators would not face unnecessary legal action. The association has been demanding strict action against aggregators operating without approval and adherence to govt-prescribed fare norms. It maintains that action against individual riders alone will not address the larger issue of unauthorised operations. Download the TOI App.
Dudi, who also heads the Pune RTA, had earlier written to the Pune police commissioner to have the cyber cell disable the bike taxi option on Rapido’s app. A WhatsApp message sent to him on Monday for an update had not been answered. Kshirsagar said the association had also sought an update from officials on the action taken so far, but was awaiting a response on Monday.