The Regional Transport Authority denied Rapido a licence to offer bike and car aggregation services. Given this, residents are urged to choose safe transportation via authorised cars rather than Rapido, according to RTO Ajit Shinde.

The Regional Transport Authority, led by collector Rajesh Deshmukh, refused the Rapido app a licence to operate as a bike and autorickshaw aggregator, prompting Pune's Regional Transport Officer to encourage users not to use it.

Rapido has been denied a licence by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to offer aggregation services for bikes and cars. Given this, residents are urged to choose safe transportation via authorised cars rather than Rapido, according to RTO Ajit Shinde's press release.

This is the second time the organisation has denied Rapido, which provides a cellphone-based bike-hailing service, a licence. The application was first turned down by the RTO on March 16 due to deficiencies in the application by Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd, the company that launched the app.

After Rapido filed a petition with the Bombay High Court, the latter ordered the RTO to evaluate the app's application on November 29.

The RTO said that neither a policy nor permission had been given by the state for bike taxi services. It further said that there is no set fare for such a service. On November 30, Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd submitted a new application for a licence as an aggregator for two-wheeled and three-wheeled transport. Following the standards set forth by the central government, we reviewed the application and gave the applicant a fair chance to respond to our concerns. As a result, the applicant's application was turned down by the RTA at its meeting on December 21 since they couldn't have their questions answered.

In a statement, Rapido said, We have received the Pune RTO's ruling and are actively considering all legal alternatives to challenge this unjustified order. Our operations are driven by the objective of ensuring the livelihood of 57,000 Rapido Captains and their families, as well as the convenience, effectiveness, and affordability of transportation for millions of commuters in Pune. If any coercive action is taken against us locally, the Pune RTO would be acting excessively and interfering with a valid protection order issued by the Honorable Supreme Court.

According to the app, a prohibition would endanger the jobs of 57,000 Rapido captains (bike riders). It claims that its activities are lawful and offer a crucial last-mile connection. In big cities all throughout India, micro-mobility is essential. Rapido released a statement that stated its services are complimentary to the existing mobility infrastructure and fill in the key missing blanks by offering services for last-mile transportation.