What’s the news: Immediately stop the plying of two-wheelers for commercial operation directed Delhi’s transport department, in a recent diktat that is creating ways on the internet. After Karnataka and Maharashtra, Delhi is now the third region in recent months to put restrictions on aggregate ride platforms in such a manner. Bike taxis a violation of Motor Vehicles Act In its notification, the department said that digital platforms facilitating such operations are in contravention of Section 93 and are punishable with a fine upto ₹1 lakh under Section 193(2) of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.” Penalty for using private bikes commercially: The use of non-transport or private registration number two-wheelers in such a manner violates the registration condition under Section 192 of the Act. A first offence in this regard will lead to a fine of ₹5,000 and a second offence will lead to a fine of ₹10,000. Further, drivers will lose their license for a minimum period of three months. Reacting to the news of the diktat in the national capital, an industry source said, “500,000 to 750,000 trips take place on bike taxis every week across ridesharing platforms in Delhi. Approximately, 70,000-80,000 drivers across platforms use bike taxis every month in Delhi across ridesharing platforms.” Why it matters: Since October 2022, various state governments have been coming down hard on aggregator platforms like Ola, Uber and Rapido. In Karnataka, the government had banned the plying of the vehicles due to ride-fares. In Maharashtra, Rapido is still tussling with the…
