Odisha Pulls the Brakes on Unauthorised Bike Taxis: Uber, Rapido Ordered to Suspend Services
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Police Crime Branch has launched a decisive crackdown against the unauthorised operation of private two-wheelers as commercial bike taxis, ordering ride-hailing giants Uber and Rapido to immediately suspend the service across the state.
In an official directive (Letter No. 1138/CID-Social Media) addressed to the Transport Commissioner-cum-Chairman of the State Transport Authority (STA) in Cuttack, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Crime Branch confirmed that formal notices have been served to the nodal officers of M/s Uber India Systems Private Limited and Rapido.
The platforms have been instructed to disable their non-transport two-wheeler passenger booking options on their mobile apps within Odisha.
The enforcement action stems from a formal request by the STA on October 28, 2026, backed by special field reports from the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) of Cuttack, Bhubaneswar-I, and Bhubaneswar-II.
These reports highlighted the widespread deployment of privately registered (“non-transport” or white-plate) motorcycles and scooters for commercial passenger transport.
According to state authorities, operating private two-wheelers via aggregator platforms directly violates the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, as well as the Odisha On-demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Guidelines, 2023.
Under current regulations, vehicles registered strictly for personal use cannot ferry paying passengers without valid commercial permits and mandatory safety compliance.
To ensure strict enforcement, the Crime Branch has mandated that both aggregators remove the bike-taxi feature and implement geo-fencing across Odisha’s borders within a 15-day window, warning of stringent legal action in case of non-compliance.
However, officials clarified that the suspension applies exclusively to unauthorised two-wheeler taxis. Regular car cab and auto-rickshaw services operated by Uber and Rapido will continue to function without interruption for commuters across Odisha.
