Commissionerate of Transport and Road Safety cracks the whip on bike taxis in Chennai

Transport Commissionerate in Chennai cracks down on bike taxis operated by Ola, Uber, and Rapido, enforcing Motor Vehicles Act.

The Commissionerate of Transport and Road Safety has started cracking the whip on two-wheelers which are being used as bike taxis through various transport aggregator applications in Chennai city, from Wednesday (December 11, 2024).

The move comes in the wake of several auto rickshaw trade unions taking out a protest in the city on Tuesday during which they gave a memorandum of their various demands including the need for taking action against the bike taxis attached to Ola, Uber, and Rapido. 

In a circular issued by the Transport Commissioner Shunchonngam Jatak Chiru to all the zonal officers and the Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) it has been stated that two-wheelers which are being used for commercial purposes by operating for various transport aggregators have been involved in various violations of the Motor Vehicles Act and rules. To ensure compliance of the MV Act, the RTOs along with Motor Vehicles Inspectors (MVIs) have been directed to organise special drives for enforcing the rules. 

T.A. Zahir Hussain, secretary of Urimai Kural drivers union said, more than 2,000 autorickshaw drivers from various trade unions under the Tamil Nadu Road Transport Workers union gave a memorandum calling for the State Transport Commissioner to take steps to rein the bike taxis, among various other demands including increase of auto meter fares, ban on bike taxis, regularization of corporate companies of Porter, Ola, and Uber, and reduction in lifetime tax for maxi cab vehicles. 

A senior official of the South zone of RTO said the special drive to impound two-wheelers used as bike taxis have begun on Wednesday with a daily action report to be submitted to the Transport Commissionerate.