Chandigarh Banned Ola, Uber And Rapido. Yet Drivers Keep Riding As Cops Find New Ways To Catch Them | Chandigarh News
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Ola, Uber and Rapido may be banned in Chandigarh, but drivers are still finding ways to keep rides going as police step up their crackdown
With Ola, Uber, Rapido and inDrive banned in Chandigarh, commuters have fewer options, with some drivers cancelling bookings or asking passengers to travel privately.
Chandigarh News: The ride may be banned, but getting one is still surprisingly easy in Chandigarh. Drivers of app-based taxis and bike taxis linked to Uber, Ola, inDrive and Rapido are finding ways to continue operating despite the suspension of their licences. At the same time, Chandigarh Police and the State Transport Authority (STA) are turning to the same apps to identify and catch drivers allegedly operating illegally.
The resulting cat-and-mouse game has so far led to action against 915 vehicles, with 812 challaned and 103 impounded, in what authorities describe as their biggest crackdown yet on unauthorised app-based transport services. The administration has also collected Rs 91.5 lakh in fines, with a Rs 10,000 penalty imposed on each vehicle found violating the suspension orders.
How Drivers Are Trying To Beat The Ban
According to officials, some drivers have adopted a series of tactics to avoid detection. Drivers allegedly switch their phones to airplane mode after accepting a booking. Some ask passengers to pay the amount displayed on the app, then cancel the booking just before the journey begins and go offline while continuing to ferry the passenger.
Some drivers also allegedly ask passengers to tell enforcement teams that they had found the vehicle parked and hired it directly.
If officials stop them, drivers reportedly quickly put their phones on aeroplane mode, making it harder for enforcement teams to prove the vehicle was operating through a suspended platform.
Police Have A Counter-Plan
The enforcement agencies, meanwhile, are using the banned platforms themselves to catch drivers. Chandigarh Police and transport officials have been booking rides through the suspended apps, posing as regular passengers. Once a vehicle arrives, officials stop it and examine the driver’s phone and the relevant apps to establish whether the vehicle was operating through a banned aggregator.
The tactic has allowed enforcement teams to catch drivers allegedly operating through the suspended platforms rather than relying only on roadside checks.
The administration has also approached the Centre seeking a GPS-based mechanism to restrict the suspended aggregator apps within Chandigarh, arguing that the platforms remain accessible despite the licence suspensions.
Bike Taxis Make Up The Bulk Of Violations
STA data shows that bike taxis account for the largest share of vehicles caught operating through the suspended apps. According to a report in The Indian Express, of the 915 vehicles against which action has been taken, 636 were bike taxis – 569 were challaned and 67 were impounded. Taxis accounted for another 208 vehicles, of which 194 were challaned and 14 impounded.
A further 71 auto-rickshaws were involved, with 49 challaned and 22 impounded. Overall, 812 vehicles were challaned and 103 impounded.
The figures mean bike taxis made up nearly 70% of all vehicles caught in the crackdown. “Despite the ban, app-based two-wheeler services and taxis both have a significant presence on city roads,” a senior STA officer told IE.
Why Are The Apps Banned?
The latest action follows a series of licence suspensions by the Chandigarh Administration. The licences of Ola were suspended on June 17, while inDrive was suspended on August 10. The administration subsequently suspended the licences of Uber and Rapido for six months from September 8, effectively taking all four major app-based aggregators off the authorised list in Chandigarh.
The STA said the companies had failed to comply with mandatory requirements under the Chandigarh Administration Motor Vehicles Aggregators Rules, 2025, despite being given opportunities to address the deficiencies.
The concerns cited by the authorities include requirements relating to driver insurance and training, fares, vehicle eligibility, safety and other operational norms. The administration has also raised issues concerning subscription or prepaid-recharge models and the use of non-commercial vehicles.
The Commuter Problem
While enforcement has intensified, the suspension has created difficulties for passengers who relied on app-based taxis and bike taxis for daily travel. With Ola, Uber, Rapido and inDrive no longer authorised to operate in Chandigarh, commuters have fewer choices, while some have reported ride cancellations, rejected bookings and drivers asking them to cancel app bookings and continue the journey privately.
The shortage has also contributed to higher fares in some cases as demand shifts towards other transport options. The Times of India reported that commuters have been facing fewer available rides and increased travel costs since the suspension of the four major platforms.
Bharat Taxi, operated by Sahkari Taxi Cooperative Limited, remains the main app-based alternative, but awareness and usage have not yet matched the popularity of the suspended platforms.
A Ban That Has Not Stopped The Rides
The Chandigarh administration has now asked the Centre to go beyond licence suspension and restrict access to the apps themselves.
The administration has argued that simply suspending aggregator licences is not enough when the apps remain active and drivers can continue accepting bookings. It has therefore sought technological intervention to prevent the platforms from facilitating rides within Chandigarh.
For now, however, the ban has produced an unusual contest: drivers are finding ways to keep rides moving, while enforcement teams are finding ways to book those very rides and catch them.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The licences were suspended because the companies failed to comply with mandatory requirements under the Chandigarh Administration Motor Vehicles Aggregators Rules, 2025, which include driver insurance and training, fair fares, vehicle eligibility, and safety norms.
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Chandigarh, India, India
October 08, 2026, 14:01 IST
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