Ola-Uber Ban : Maharashtra government took big action against Ola, Uber and Rapido; Now these apps can disappear from the phone

By Samira Vishwas On May 17, 2026

Apps may be banned
Action against illegal bike taxis
Women’s safety and penalty scam

Ola Uber Rapido Ban Maharashtra 2026 : In big cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, lakhs of employees are currently using ‘bike taxi’ to reach the office on time, avoiding traffic jams. If you are also booking a bike from Rapido, Ola or Uber, this is a huge shock for you. The Maharashtra government has taken very strict action against these three giant companies. The government has sent a legal notice directly to Google and Apple, demanding immediate removal of these apps from their platforms. This has now created a fear that this means of travel will disappear from the phones of common people.

Why did the government suddenly take such an extreme step?

The entire case has been linked with the state’s home and transport departments. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik had written a detailed letter to the Cyber Department on May 12 demanding strict action against illegal bike taxi services. Subsequently, the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber Department issued a direct notice to Google and Apple on May 15. This action has been taken under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act). The government alleges that these companies are in flagrant violation of the Motor Vehicle Act and are operating commercial bike taxis without any official approval. Currently, only ‘electric bike taxi’ is allowed in Maharashtra, but it has come to light that these companies are also using other vehicles.

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Women’s safety and one accident changed the equation

Behind this action is not only violation of rules but also a very serious issue of safety of passengers, especially women. The notification released by the government said that the driver verification system of Ola, Uber and Rapido is very weak. Drivers are hired without background checks. Apart from this, difficulties in getting insurance at the time of accident and lack of emergency response system have put the lives of passengers at risk. After the unfortunate death of a woman in a recent bike taxi accident, the administration has started targeting the companies directly over this safety issue.

The Maharashtra government has banned bike taxi services operated by Uber, Ola, and Rapido across the state. pic.twitter.com/lbHYIdWwgi
— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) May 14, 2026

credit – social media and Twitter

Serious charge of ‘penalty scam’ against Rapido

Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has made a sensational accusation against the Rapido company. If a Rapido driver is fined between Rs 200 and Rs 500 during an RTO inspection, the company asks its drivers to pay the fine themselves and then refund the driver by showing a receipt. According to the government, this is in direct violation of the law and the rules of the RTO. The government has expressed its anger that the company started this secret system to avoid the fear of government fines.

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What exactly will matter and will car-auto services continue?

New users will be hit the hardest by this move, as these apps will not be able to be downloaded to new phones if they are removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Meanwhile, the administration has clarified that the crackdown is currently only focused on ‘bike taxi’ services. Therefore, the car booking, auto rickshaw and food delivery services of these companies will continue as usual. However, if the legal battle escalates and Google blocks the entire app, the companies could lose billions of rupees and all the services could come to a standstill.