India, May 13 -- Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik has written to the state cybercrime department, seeking the immediate shutdown of allegedly illegal bike taxi apps and the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) against the companies' owners.

The move comes amid the state government's intensified crackdown on ride-sharing platforms such as Rapido, Ola and Uber over alleged regulatory violations and passenger safety concerns.

In his letter sent on Tuesday to the additional director general of Maharashtra's cybercrime department, Sarnaik said that several bike taxi services have been operating illegally in the state for the last few months without obtaining valid permissions, government approvals or complying with t...