With an estimated 4 to 4.5 lakh illegal bike taxis operating across Maharashtra, the state government will roll out a new policy on August 1 to regulate the sector. Under it, only domicile holders who understand Marathi will be eligible to operate bike taxis.

They will also have to pay the government a licence fee of Rs 5 per day and contribute 2 per cent of every fare to a welfare fund, which could increase the government’s revenue. The announcement was made by State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik during the Question Hour in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.