The Bombay High Court (HC) ordered online taxi aggregator Rapido to suspend its services in Maharashtra beginning today (13th January) at 1 PM and continuing until Friday (20th January). The HC issued the above order after discovering that Rapido lacks a taxi aggregator licence in Maharashtra and is thus operating illegally in the state.
The HC order was issued during a court hearing (petition) filed by Rapido, which sought to overturn the Maharashtra government's decision to deny taxi aggregator licences to online ride-hailing companies. During the hearing, Rapido agreed to comply with the court's order and stated that it would cease two-wheeler passenger services, two-wheeler parcel services, and auto services in Maharashtra by 1 p.m. today (13th January). The state High Court chastised the Maharashtra government for failing to develop a policy for taxi aggregators and asked for clarification.