Delhi Government's Ola, Uber and Rapido ban: What you need to know

Delhi : Some bad news for those of us in Delhi who rely on Uber, Ola, and Rapido bike taxis to get around. The transportation department has simply prohibited these services. According to the Motor Vehicle Act, the companies have apparently been breaking the regulations by utilising bikes with private registrations to transport passengers, which is a massive no-no.

The letter from the transport department cautions that if any of the ride-sharing businesses continue to provide bike taxi services in Delhi, they will be fined Rs 5,000 for the first offence and Rs 10,000 plus jail term for any subsequent offence. The drivers' licences will also be suspended for three years. Ouch!

But it's not just the riders who are at danger. If the ride-sharing companies allow bike taxis to operate in the city, they could face a Rs 1 lakh fine.

This isn't the first time these bike taxis have gotten into trouble. Rapido was operating without a legal licence, according to the Supreme Court. In addition, the Maharashtra government declined to provide permits to Rapido's motorbike taxis in January due to a lack of legislative requirements on their licencing, safety, and fare structure.