Written by PPL Newsroom• October 7, 2026• 2:31 pm• Policy

Maharashtra sets July 2027 deadline for bike taxis to go fully electric

The state has told Ola, Uber, Rapido and other aggregators to phase out petrol bike taxis within nine months, though riders say the cost is steep.

Maharashtra has set a nine-month deadline for bike taxi aggregators, including Ola, Uber and Rapido, to move to fully electric fleets. The deadline is July 2027. The order covers app-based bike taxis, not cabs or autorickshaws. It makes the state’s electric-only rule for two-wheeler taxis a dated commitment.

The details come from a report by The Indian Express, which other outlets have followed. We could not find the letter itself in public. Following directions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the State Transport Department this month told aggregators and Regional Transport Offices across Maharashtra to ensure a phased transition to 100 per cent electric bike taxi fleets.

How the timeline works

The nine months are split into two stages. Aggregators currently running petrol-powered bike taxis get six months to comply. Operators who have already applied for provisional or temporary licences under the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025 get another three months. In practical terms, petrol bikes would have to leave licensed aggregator fleets in stages, and none should remain by July 2027.

The direction does not change the basic policy. Maharashtra made electric vehicles a requirement for licensed bike taxis in July 2025. Under those rules, only electric two-wheelers painted yellow and marked as bike taxis may operate commercially. The rules also require an operator applying for a licence to have at least 50 electric bike taxis, owned directly or tied to the operator through agreements with riders.

Why the deadline is firm now

Aggregators were first given provisional 30-day licences to switch to electric vehicles. Those licences were revoked in March after the platforms did not comply. The new timetable replaces that short window with a longer, staged one.

The industry had asked for far more time. In September, the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association wrote to Fadnavis and other officials asking for one-and-a-half years. Aggregators had asked for an extension to 2030, citing the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Policy, but the government granted only nine months.

The main objection is cost. Association president Amit Gawde said most bike taxi riders come from middle or lower-middle-class backgrounds, so buying an electric vehicle all at once is hard. The reports we reviewed did not mention any new subsidy or financing support tied to this order.

What this means for India

Bike taxis are a daily mobility option in Indian cities, and states are still deciding how to regulate them. Maharashtra’s order shows one approach: licensing tied to electric vehicles, with a fixed end date for petrol bikes. The rider-cost concern is the same in many states. How Maharashtra handles financing and charging access for riders may shape what other states do. The reports do not yet say how the rule will be enforced.

What to watch next

Whether the aggregators comply or challenge the deadline.
Whether the state offers riders any support to buy or lease electric bikes.
How regional transport offices check fleets once the six-month first phase ends.