Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik books bike taxi ride from outside Mantralaya, exposes illegal operations in Mumbai
He was informed that there were no bike taxis operating in Mumbai. But when the minister personally booked a bike on the Rapido Bike Taxi app under an alias, within 10 minutes, the bike arrived at Shaheed Babu Genu Chowk near Mantralaya.
"I caught the rider red handed and proved that he was operating illegally," Sarnaik said. He later issued a statement to the media saying: "This bike was taking bookings for rides despite state govt not having granted official permission to any bike taxi app."
He further said: "I offered the rider Rs 500 as fare. I told him that filing a case against someone like you, who is poor, won't achieve anything for us. However, those responsible must be brought to justice."
You Can Also Check:
Mumbai AQI
|
Weather in Mumbai
|
Bank Holidays in Mumbai
|
Public Holidays in Mumbai
Rapido officials could not be contacted for comments.
State govt had recently announced an e-bike policy, allowing bike taxi services only to organisations that comply with various terms and conditions and have electric bikes.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here]
Esseps
Learn More
Later, transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar issued a notification on draft Maharashtra Bike-Taxi Rules 2025, and invited suggestions and objections from the public till June 5. "The process is yet to be finalised, therefore bike taxis are illegal on city roads as on date," Sarnaik said, appealing to Mumbaikars not to board such bikes.
A state govt official pointed out: "While the minister caught the bike taxi operator red handed, what action will he take against the transport department official who had claimed that there was not a single bike taxi on Mumbai roads and provided false information."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Customs arrest Bangkok flyer with 10 crore drugs at Mumbai airport
Mumbai: Mumbai Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport foiled three separate cases of smuggling attempts on Saturday, seizing narcotic substances, exotic wildlife, and gold worth over Rs 11 crore. Four persons were arrested across the cases, which were booked under various provisions of the NDPS Act, Wildlife Protection Act, and Customs Act. In the first case, acting on specific intelligence, officers from Mumbai Customs Zone-III intercepted one Mohammed Rohan Shaikh, an Ahmedabad resident arriving from Bangkok. A thorough examination of his checked-in baggage led to the recovery of 9.66 kg of hydroponic marijuana, valued at Rs 9.66 crore in the illicit market. The narcotic substance was concealed inside the luggage, and the passenger was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. In a separate case, based on profiling, Customs officials intercepted another passenger who had also arrived from Bangkok. Upon inspection of his baggage, officials recovered a disturbing collection of live and dead exotic animals, including one live and three dead raccoons (Procyon Lotor), three dead black fox squirrels (Sciurus niger), and 29 live and eight dead green iguanas (Iguana spp.). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hear true cinema with boAt Boat Buy Now Undo As these species are not native to India, the animals were handed over to airline staff for deportation to their country of origin to ensure better chances of survival. Proceedings were initiated against the passenger under the Customs Act, 1962 and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. He was placed under arrest. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai In the third operation, Customs officials intercepted two passengers arriving from Dubai and recovered 1.650 kg of 24KT gold, valued at Rs 1.49 crore. The gold, in the form of dust mixed with wax and gold pieces, was found concealed within body cavities and pockets of the passengers. The seizure was made under the Customs Act, 1962, and both individuals were arrested.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Man booked for unlicensed use of songs in wedding videos
Ahmedabad: Maninagar police on Saturday booked a studio operator under copyright laws after a raid revealed unlicensed use of film songs in wedding and pre-wedding videos. The matter was reported by an executive of a Noida-based music company which holds the rights to a large collection of songs. The company official, assigned to monitor unauthorised use of copyrighted audio content in Gujarat, received information about a studio near Krishnabaug crossroads in Maninagar. It was alleged that the studio was using company-owned songs in wedding video projects without any licence or written permission. Based on this, the company approached police with details and evidence. Maninagar police arranged a raid with the help of panch witnesses and company representatives. During the raid, two computers were found running. Examination of hard drives showed that several wedding and pre-wedding video files contained audio tracks belonging to the complainant company. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad When questioned, the studio operator admitted that the audio tracks were added to customer videos upon request. He also confirmed that these edited videos were backed up for service-related purposes. However, when asked to present the required licence or permission, none was provided. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola Police seized two CPUs and a hard disk from the studio, estimating the total value at Rs 45,000. The seized data included files containing popular songs mixed with customer videos. Based on this, a complaint was filed under sections of the Copyright Act.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Nigerian Man Held with Cocaine in Mumbai Claims Innocence, Says Bag Was Planted
Mumbai: A 39-year-old Nigerian national was arrested by the Worli unit of the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) on Saturday for allegedly possessing 200 grams of cocaine worth Rs 2 crores in Mumbai's Malad area. However, the accused, Frank Chibuzar Nandi, has claimed that the narcotics were planted on him and that he has been falsely implicated in the case. According to police, acting on a specific tip-off, officers laid a trap near PJ Colony, Orlem Marve Road in Malad, and intercepted Nandi, who was reportedly carrying a bag. Upon searching the bag, police said they recovered 200 grams of white powder suspected to be a narcotic substance. A field drug test confirmed it to be cocaine. Police also seized a Honda City car from Nandi's possession. A panchnama was drawn on the spot, and Nandi was produced before the Holiday Court on Sunday. While the police sought custody for further investigation, the accused told the court that he had been framed. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai "The police simply arrested me, planted the bag on me, took photos and videos, and later said the seizure was drugs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Turn everyday drives into standout moments. Toyota Glanza Learn More Undo I completely deny this," Nandi said in open court when asked if he had any complaints. The court advised Nandi to engage a lawyer, but the accused requested to first speak to his wife before appointing legal counsel. The magistrate then directed police to facilitate a phone call to his wife. Nandi remains in custody while further investigation is underway.
