Recently the Maharashtra government backtracked on a directive to remove Ola, Uber, and Rapido from app stores. Legal vulnerabilities and public backlash forced officials to reconsider the sweeping ban, shifting the focus away from a complete app shutdown.
On Friday, the Maharashtra Cyber Department issued notices to Google and Apple under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, demanding the total removal of the ride-hailing apps.
The aggressive move was a response to the platforms’ continued facilitation of “illegal” bike-taxi operations, missing proper licensing, and safety concerns (such as rider verification and insurance).The Climbdown: Less than 24 hours later, the state paused the plan. Legal experts indicated the notices would be highly difficult to defend in court. The conflict largely stems from a long-standing dispute over two-wheeler commercial services.
Maharashtra attempted a licensing framework in 2025 that mandated commercial bikes must be electric and painted yellow.Platform Defiance: The platforms did not comply with the strict electric and colour code norms, prompting the government to revoke provisional licenses and the apps to continue operating regardless.
Although the government wants the rogue bike-taxi features disabled, completely taking down the apps impacted standard cab and auto operations, triggering the state to pause its execution.
News Edit KV Raman
