New Delhi, May 16: Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed the Cyber Crime department to lodge FIRs against Ola, Uber and Rapido over alleged illegal bike taxi operations in the state.

The minister further clarified that app-based mobility platforms Ola, Uber and Rapido continue to operate in the state as we sought legal action against their alleged unauthorised bike taxi services.

The clarification came after reports circulated on social media claiming that the services of Ola, Uber and Rapido had been completely shut down in Maharashtra.

In a post on X, the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), Maharashtra, said such reports were misleading and stated that the government’s action is limited only to illegal bike taxi operations.

“The claim circulating on social media that all services of Ola, Uber, and Rapido have been completely shut down in Maharashtra is misleading,” it said.

“The transport department has taken a strict stance against unauthorised bike taxi services operating illegally in the state,” DGIPR added.

According to the state government, Sarnaik has written to the Cyber Crime department requesting immediate action against unauthorised bike taxi app services operating through the three platforms.

The minister also asked the department to file FIRs against the companies over the alleged operations.

“Transport Minister Sarnaik has written to the cyber-crime department demanding the immediate shutdown of unauthorised bike taxi app services like Ola, Uber and Rapido and the filing of FIRs against the respective company owners,” it stated.

“At the same time, the Transport Commissioner has also sent a letter to the Cyber Crime department in this regard,” it added.

However, there is no official comment on the development from the companies yet.

Bike taxi services have repeatedly faced regulatory challenges in Maharashtra over concerns related to legality, licensing norms and compliance with transport regulations.

App-based mobility operators offering two-wheeler taxi services have also encountered policy-related hurdles in the state in the past, as authorities continue to examine the framework governing such operations.

New Delhi, May 15: India and the United Arab Emirates signed key agreements, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, on a framework for the bilateral strategic defence partnership, the supply of LPG and strategic petroleum reserves, and an investment to the tune of $5 billion US dollars in Indian Infrastructure and RBL Bank and Samman Capital.

An agreement was also signed for setting up a ship repair cluster at Vadinar.

Speaking during delegation-level talks in Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the UAE in every situation, and it will continue to do so. For the restoration of peace and stability, India will extend all possible cooperation.”

He said it was important that the Strait of Hormuz remains “free and open” and added that international laws must be respected.

The Prime Minister thanked UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for strengthening the India-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership and said bilateral cooperation had gained greater importance in the current global situation.

PM Modi said both sides had agreed during the UAE President’s January visit to India to qualitatively upgrade relations and had already made significant progress in a short span.

“I extend heartfelt gratitude to you for taking our comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights. During your visit to India in January, we agreed to qualitatively upgrade our relations. Even in such a small duration, we have made significant progress in all matters. In the kind of situation we have at hand today, the importance of India-UAE strategic cooperation has vastly increased. In the time to come, we will go ahead together in every area,” he observed.

PM Modi said the impact of the conflict in West Asia was being felt globally and stressed that dialogue and diplomacy remain the best way to resolve issues.

The Prime Minister arrived in the UAE earlier in the day and received a ceremonial welcome. Later, he held bilateral talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, popularly known as MBZ.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his five-nation tour from May 15 to 20, covering the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. The visit aims to deepen India’s strategic and economic partnerships across key sectors, including energy, defence, technology, green transition and trade.

Mumbai: Ending days of intense speculation, the Centre on Friday announced an immediate Rs 3 per litre hike in petrol and diesel prices across the country, marking the first revision in retail fuel rates in nearly four years. The revised prices came into effect immediately from Friday without any transition window. Along with petrol and diesel, the price of CNG was also increased by Rs 2, a move expected to have a wider impact on transportation and household expenses.

In Mumbai, petrol prices climbed to Rs 106.68 per litre after a hike of Rs 3.14, while diesel rates rose by Rs 3.11 to Rs 93.14 per litre. The increase is likely to hit daily commuters, cab and autorickshaw operators, and logistics businesses in the city, where fuel costs directly affect transportation fares and commodity prices.

Among the four major metro cities, Mumbai recorded one of the steepest hikes in petrol prices. In Delhi, petrol prices rose to Rs 97.77 per litre and diesel to Rs 90.67 per litre. Kolkata saw petrol prices increase to Rs 108.74 and diesel to Rs 95.13, while in Chennai, petrol now costs Rs 103.67 and diesel Rs 95.25 per litre.

The hike comes amid mounting pressure on state-run oil marketing companies due to rising global crude oil prices. Earlier in March, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) had raised the prices of premium petrol and diesel, but rates for regular retail consumers had remained unchanged until now.

According to reports, the three oil companies were collectively absorbing losses of nearly Rs 1,600 crore daily as they continued purchasing crude oil at elevated international prices while avoiding a retail hike. The Centre had reportedly delayed revising fuel prices in an attempt to keep inflation under control, since fuel costs have a cascading impact on transportation, food and essential commodities.

The pressure intensified after conflict in West Asia pushed crude oil prices sharply higher in the global market. India’s crude basket, which averaged around USD 69 per barrel before the Iran conflict escalated in February, later surged to nearly USD 113-114 per barrel in subsequent months.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to conserve fuel and adopt work-from-home practices wherever possible to reduce fuel consumption and ease pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves. Supporting the appeal, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced a 90-day fuel conservation campaign and two days of work-from-home for government offices.