The Maharashtra government has reportedly directed all bike taxi aggregators, including Rapido, Uber and Ola, to transition to an all-electric fleet by July 2027. 

According to the Indian Express, the state transport department, earlier this month, wrote to the aggregators to phase out petrol-powered bike taxis in a phased manner in the next nine months. 

Following directions from chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis, the platforms have been told to switch to electric bike taxis before the deadline. 

Under the proposed plan, ride-hailing platforms will initially be given six months to comply with the EV mandate. However, bike taxi operators, which have applied for provisional or temporary licences under the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025, will receive an additional three months to meet the requirement.

This comes a month after the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association (MBTWA) reportedly wrote to CM Fadnavis, state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik and transport commissioner over the EV transition. In its letter, the gig worker body had sought a deadline of one-and-a-half years for aggregators to comply with the EV mandate.

“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 smaller life of an electric vehicle also makes this decision more difficult,” MBTWA president Amit Gawde reportedly said. 

Meanwhile, sources reportedly said that ride-hailing platforms had also sought an extension until 2030, citing the need for more time to transition their fleets.

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