Overview
- Pune police said on Monday that they have sent formal notices to Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store asking both companies to remove the Rapido app from their stores in the city.
- Authorities say Rapido’s application to operate as a bike‑taxi aggregator in Pune remains pending with the state transport department after the district collector ordered the service suspended on October 15.
- An FIR registered at Vishrantwadi police station on October 16 names Rapido’s parent, Roppen Transportation Services, and alleges cheating plus violations of the Motor Vehicles Act and the IT Act following an RTO decoy booking.
- A takedown would also cut off autorickshaw and cab bookings for new users because Rapido bundles multiple services in one app, and a similar state-ordered removal in May was reversed after the central government intervened.
- Despite the police letter, the bike‑taxi option remains visible and rides continue in Pune, leaving commuters, driver unions and platform operators facing uncertainty as Maharashtra pushes aggregators to switch to electric two‑wheelers by July 2027.