On Friday, the Maharashtra State Cyber Department issued notices to Apple and Google, demanding the removal of Ola, Uber, and Rapido from their app stores due to illegal bike taxi operations. However, by Saturday, the government paused this plan, indicating a need for a more nuanced approach to halt bike taxi services without affecting other ride-hailing operations. This shift comes after significant legal scrutiny, as experts suggest that the government's use of Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which is typically applied to unlawful content, may not support outright app bans. The conflict with bike taxi operators has been ongoing since November 2020, when Rapido began operations without state approval. Despite being granted provisional licenses in September 2025 to transition to electric bike taxis under new regulations, these platforms failed to comply, leading to the revocation of their licenses in March 2026. The Maharashtra Bike Taxi Welfare Association has expressed concern for the livelihoods of around 15,000 riders in Mumbai, urging the government for a transition period of 12 to 18 months before enforcing the electric vehicle mandate, citing the financial burden of electric bikes.