The Pune Regional Transport Authority office has initiated a strict crackdown on the operations of Ola and Uber within Pune City, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Baramati. This action comes in response to the district collector's decision to prohibit these aggregators from operating in the region.

On March 12, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) issued a letter rejecting licensing applications from Uber India Systems Pvt. Ltd and Ola’s parent company, ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd, citing compliance issues. Despite this, the RTO observed that these companies continued to operate, prompting action against 12 Ola and Uber cabs.

Sujit Dongarjal, assistant RTO, confirmed that action was taken against these cabs for operating in defiance of the official ban outlined in the RTO's rejection of their applications. The enforcement falls under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicle Act, and cases will be directly forwarded to court, as there is no provision for compounding fees.

Dongarjal clarified that the limited manpower of the RTO office, coupled with various other responsibilities such as enforcing helmet rules, highway monitoring, and meeting revenue targets, posed challenges in addressing all violations simultaneously. Each enforcement squad currently comprises two senior and two assistant inspectors.

The applications submitted by Ola and Uber for aggregator licenses for four-wheeler light vehicles had been pending since December 2023 under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines Act, 2020. However, a review by the RTA revealed non-compliance with the Act's provisions. Consequently, a circular issued on December 12 rejected their permission and barred further operations by the aggregators.