I am sure many of you must have used the ride-pooling services offered on various applications like Ola, Uber, and others. For people who don’t know, ride-pooling means sharing a vehicle with someone who is also going in the same direction. This helps reduce transportation costs, traffic and pollution. However, due to a government ban, people in Maharashtra may no longer be able to use this service. Here’s Why.
No More Ride-Pooling By Ola, Uber And Others
In response to mounting concerns about passenger safety, the Maharashtra government has outlawed the use of non-transport cars for ride-pooling and aggregation. Non-transport vehicles are all those vehicles that cannot be used for any sort of commercial purpose. These vehicles are private and have a white number plate. All the vehicles that are used for commercial purposes have yellow licence plates.
The decision about non-transport vehicles, including two, three, and four-wheelers, was taken with the safety of the public and passengers in mind. The government has voiced concerns over the use of non-transport vehicles registered outside of Maharashtra, which could have an impact on the state’s legal cars’ capacity to operate and generate an income.
Companies Will Be Facing Some Restrictions
The ride-share options offered by Ola, Uber, and others will be facing some restrictions. According to a government circular, Ola and Uber have already removed the bike-sharing service from their applications. The government has made it clear that non-transport vehicles will be given the green light only after detailed consideration of guidelines, frameworks, and rules.
This decision came after the Bombay High Court issued a cease-and-desist order to Rapido in Maharashtra. The notice ordered it to immediately cease operations for operating without a license. For now, the services are suspended in the state. It was brought to the government’s attention that bike taxis operated by Rapido were operating within the state without proper licenses.
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