Now Reading: Maharashtra plans EV mandate, 2% welfare levy on Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto
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Maharashtra plans EV mandate, 2% welfare levy on Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto
Maharashtra plans to bring food delivery, quick commerce and ecommerce platforms under its proposed bike-taxi rules, requiring them to deploy EV fleets, provide GPS tracking and insurance, and contribute 2 per cent…
The Story in Brief
Maharashtra plans to bring food delivery, quick commerce and ecommerce platforms under its proposed bike-taxi rules, requiring them to deploy EV fleets, provide GPS tracking and insurance, and contribute 2 per cent of each trip's fare to a driver welfare fund, The Indian Express reports. The fund would cover pensions, accident cover, EV loans and education for drivers' children. However, unlike bike-taxis, delivery platforms do not have fixed fares, making it unclear how the 2 per cent levy would be calculated. The proposal is under review by the state's law and judiciary department. Separately, Karnataka has enacted a similar 1 per cent levy per transaction, which platforms including Swiggy, Zepto and Uber are challenging in court.
The Indian Opinion
Some platforms are calling the proposed 2 per cent levy a death knell, but that is overblown. The levy is small and similar to Karnataka's 1 per cent cap. The real uncertainty is how it will be calculated for delivery orders where fares vary. The Karnataka High Court's final decision will set the benchmark for state-level regulation of gig workers.
Sources (2): inc42.com, ndtvprofit.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
