India, Oct. 16 -- Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi on Thursday directed ride-hailing app Rapido to stop its unauthorised bike taxi operations in the city by the end of the day. He instructed other private cab aggregators to ensure that auto-rickshaw and cab drivers receive fares in accordance with government-approved rates.

Dudi issued the directions at a Pune Regional Transport Authority (RTA) meeting following complaints from driver unions about alleged fare violations and Rapido's operation of bike taxis without the required permit.

Union representatives alleged that aggregators were charging passengers excessive fares during peak hours while drivers faced losses during non-peak hours because of their pricing mechanisms. They al...