The Maharashtra government has set a nine-month deadline for all bike taxi aggregators, including Ola, Uber and Rapido, to transition to an all-electric fleet, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The reported move comes after Maharashtra made electric vehicles a requirement for licensed bike taxis in July last year under the Maharashtra Bike-Taxi Rules, 2025. Under the rules, only electric two-wheelers painted yellow and marked as bike taxis are allowed to operate commercially.

At the time, aggregators were granted provisional 30-day licences to transition to electric bike taxis. However, when the platforms failed to comply with the rules, the state government revoked their licences in March this year.

In September, the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association wrote to Fadnavis and other officials, including the state transport minister and transport commissioner, seeking one-and-a-half years to complete the transition to EVs, The Indian Express reported. Aggregators had also sought an extension until 2030.

The association’s request came after a report stated that the state government was considering a 50:50 mix of petrol and electric motorcycles. However, the state Cabinet rejected the proposal amid concerns that companies could opt not to procure electric vehicles despite having the capacity to do so, given the higher cost of EVs.

The state had also proposed a temporary daily fee of ₹5 on bike taxi services operating illegally in the state. Maharashtra’s transport minister Pratap Sarnaik had said aggregators would be required to contribute 2 per cent of the fare from every ride to a welfare fund for bike taxi drivers.