Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the state Transport Department to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) system for ride-hailing vehicles and driver shifts, while asking officials to examine trip access for independent taxi drivers.
At an Oct. 29 meeting on the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Aggregator Rules, 2026, at his Varsha residence in Mumbai, Fadnavis issued the direction. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and senior transport officials attended, the state's Directorate General of Information and Public Relations said.
The proposed platform would compile information on aggregator vehicles and parking locations, along with driver identification, licenses, police verification and other required documents. It would record which driver uses each vehicle on a given shift. The state said the records and AI analysis are meant to help authorities identify breaches and respond promptly.
Officials were also asked to review how apps choose drivers for trips and compare access for independent taxi drivers with opportunities available to drivers operating through large fleets. The state said technology should help surface possible discrimination in those decisions; it did not report evidence that unfair allocation has occurred. It did not set out a method for making that comparison.
Maharashtra's announcement tied the proposal to a broader set of stated concerns: a rising number of aggregator vehicles, difficulties for independent taxi drivers, passenger safety and transparency in trip allocation. The state described safer rides and equal employment opportunities for local drivers as intended benefits.
The rules, dated July 15, 2026, already direct the Transport Commissioner to develop a state portal for real-time monitoring of vehicles onboarded to aggregator platforms, according to the Maharashtra Gazette. The Oct. 29 announcement did not clarify whether the AI system would serve as that portal or extend its functions.
No launch date or budget was announced, and the state gave no details on how officials would review trip-allocation practices. It did not set out a procurement plan, technical design or data-access policy.
