App-based taxi services: Four aggregator firms have failed to comply with Centre's guidelines, say Maharashtra officials

Mumbai: Four app-based taxi aggregators in Maharashtra, including Ola and Uber, have failed to comply with some provisions of the Centre's Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020, after which the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority decided to take guidance from the state government on issuance of licences to them, an official said on Thursday.

In February 2023, the Supreme Court had directed app-based taxi aggregators to apply for a licence within the March 6 deadline in order to ply their trade in Maharashtra.

Thereafter, Uber India System Limited and ANI Technologies Limited, which operate Uber and Ola app-based services, respectively, had applied for cab aggregator licence at Tardeo RTO in south Mumbai in the beginning of March, he said.

At the end of that month, the MMRTA had granted them temporary licence on the condition that they would need to comply with the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020. the official added.

Apart from these two leading aggregators, two other companies, namely Cab-age Infra Tech Private Limited and Media Miles Private Limited, had applied for aggregator licence at Wadala RTO in the central part of the metropolis and neighbouring Thane RTO office, respectively, he added.

As per RTO officials, on receiving applications for aggregator licence, teams were deputed to check if these firms were complying with the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020 but none of the four applicants were found to be fulfilling them.

"Hence, the compliance reports were kept in front of MMRTA for further direction. After discussions, the transport authority chaired by the transport secretary of Maharashtra directed that the state government's guidance be sought on the issue," the official said.

The MMRTA has directed that all the applications be sent to the state government for guidance, a senior RTO official told PTI.

"The companies are not complying with the guidelines pertaining to payment of security deposit, installation of simulators for driver training, driver medical check up, and certificates of drivers, among others," he informed.

The Maharashtra government appointed a committee under the chairmanship of retired additional chief secretary Sudhir Kumar Shrivastava in April this year to draft the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Aggregator Rules.

The committee, which has sought the inputs from all stakeholders including the general public, has so far held three meetings in Navi Mumbai, officials said.