The Maharashtra government has decided to go all-electric by July 27, 2027 for bike taxi aggregators like Ola, Uber and Rapido. The state transport department in October has written to the ride-hailing aggregators and regional transport offices across Maharashtra, granting a nine-month phased transition period to switch to 100% EV fleets, following the direction of CM Devendra Fadnavis. Under the 100% EV transition plan, aggregators currently operating petrol-powered bikes will be given six months in the first wave to comply with the EV mandate.
Operators working under the provisional or temporary licenses under the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules 2025 will be provided an additional three months to meet the requirement. The directive comes amid concerns raised by bike taxi associations and riders over mandatory transitions to electric vehicles.
Earlier in September, the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association had written to the CM and other officials, including the state transport minister and transport commissioner, requesting one-and-a-half years to fully switch to EVs, given several conditions.
“Most bike taxi riders hail from middle or lower-middle-class backgrounds, making it difficult for them to undertake a significant investment to purchase an EV bike at once. The lack of EV charging infrastructure and the shorter life of an electric vehicle also makes this decision more difficult,” Amit Gawde, President of the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association, said.
An extension until 2030 was also sought by the aggregator, citing the Maharashtra electric vehicle policy and the need for more time to transition their fleet. Keeping in mind these exemptions, the government has granted them only nine months to switch to 100% EV fleets.
The move comes as the government has stepped up enforcement against unauthorised and non-compliant bike-taxi operations. As per a media report, State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said that the government had initially considered allowing a 50-50 mix of petrol and electric vehicles.
However, the cabinet rejected the proposal, amid concerns that companies could choose not to procure electric vehicles despite having the capacity to do so, as they are more expensive.