Mumbai: Maharashtra State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on October 13 said that taxi and rickshaw drivers have been given a deadline until November 15 to begin operating meter-based services for commuters.
The decision was taken during a meeting at Mantralaya along with MLA Sneha Dubey, MSRTC Managing Director Dr. Madhav Kusekar, Vasai–Virar Municipal Commissioner Manoj Suryavanshi, Additional Transport Commissioner Bharat Kalaskar, and other officials.
१३ ऑक्टोबर २०२५ | मंत्रालय
वसई–विरार महापालिका क्षेत्रातील वाहतूक कोंडी सोडविण्यासाठी आज मंत्रालयात बैठक घेण्यात आली. या बैठकीत टॅक्सी व रिक्षा चालकांना १५ नोव्हेंबरपर्यंत मीटरवर आधारित सेवा सुरू करण्याची मुदत देण्यात आली आहे. तसेच प्रवाशांची लुबाडणूक होऊ नये यासाठी… pic.twitter.com/adqGJleYQo
— Pratap Baburao Sarnaik (@PratapSarnaik) October 13, 2025
The aim of the meeting was to address the issue of traffic congestion in the Vasai–Virar Municipal Corporation area. According to the transport minister, taxi and rickshaw drivers must charge passengers as per the fares set by the state government.
Additionally, Sarnaik directed the State Transport Corporation to start long-distance bus services from the Vasai–Virar Municipal Corporation area to Thane and Kalyan. This announcement also comes ahead of the upcoming local body polls.
Moreover, instructions were issued to activate the Virar, Vasai, and Nalasopara bus depots within the Vasai–Virar Municipal limits.
Auto Rickshaw Drivers Protest Over E-Bike Taxi And Bike Pooling Services
Earlier in May 2024, thousands of auto rickshaw drivers across Maharashtra took to the streets to protest the state government’s decision to approve e-bike taxi and bike pooling services.
The demonstrations, spearheaded by the Joint Action Committee of Auto Rickshaw Driver-Owner Associations, Maharashtra, were held outside Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in multiple regions, including Mumbai, Konkan, Western Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Khandesh, and rural districts.
The protestors argued that the introduction of e-bike taxis and bike pooling services would disrupt the existing public transport ecosystem, slash their earnings, and reduce the demand for auto rickshaws.
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