Maharashtra Government Mandates All-Electric Bike Taxis by July 2027

Mumbai, India – The Maharashtra government has mandated that all bike taxi aggregators, such as Rapido, Uber, and Ola, must transition to an all-electric fleet by July 2027. The state's transport department issued directives earlier this month for a phased withdrawal of petrol-powered bike taxis over the next nine months.

Ride-hailing platforms are initially given six months to comply with the electric vehicle (EV) mandate. Operators who have applied for provisional or temporary licenses under the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025, will receive an additional three months to meet the requirement. This decision follows appeals from the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association, which had requested an 18-month deadline, citing the financial burden on drivers to purchase EVs and the lack of charging infrastructure.

Sources indicate that ride-hailing platforms had also requested an extension until 2030, citing the need for more time to transition their fleets. However, the state government has reportedly granted them only nine months to switch to EVs. This stricter timeline comes after previous enforcement actions, including fines for illegal operations and the introduction of rules requiring electric two-wheelers for commercial use.

Last year, the state officially legalized bike taxis with rules mandating that only yellow, marked electric two-wheelers could operate commercially. Aggregators were reportedly granted 30-day provisional licenses to transition. However, alleged non-compliance led to the revocation of their licenses in March, prompting the government to pursue enforcement actions and collect significant fines for unauthorized operations.