The State Transport Authority (STA), Chandigarh, has suspended the aggregator license of ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd., the parent company of Ola, for six months with immediate effect. According to reports from ANI, the decision was taken following multiple complaints from drivers and other stakeholders. The suspension order was issued by Nitish Singla, PCS, Secretary, State Transport Authority, UT Chandigarh, who also serves as the Licensing Authority under the Aggregator Rules. The authority stated that ANI Technologies had been granted an aggregator license on January 15, 2024, under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2020, which subsequently came under the ambit of the Chandigarh Administration Motor Vehicles Aggregators Rules, 2025. In an order issued this evening, the State Transport Authority directed all vehicle owners attached to the Ola platform not to operate or accept ride bookings through the application within Chandigarh. The administration warned that any vehicle found violating the order would face challan and impounding, while commuters have been advised not to book rides through the Ola app and instead use other registered aggregators.
The suspension was cited for alleged violations of the Chandigarh Administration Motor Vehicles Aggregators Rules, 2025. As reported by ANI, the decision was taken following multiple complaints from drivers and other stakeholders who alleged non-compliance with provisions related to health insurance, term insurance, driver training and fare regulations. The authority stated that the company had allegedly failed to respond to regulatory directives and cited specific issues with the company's subscription model, alleging that cab operators attached to the platform were required to recharge prepaid subscriptions, which the authority termed a violation of the Aggregator Rules, 2025. Despite repeated opportunities and meetings, the company failed to comply with the notified rules.
A significant factor in the suspension was the discovery that ANI Technologies had shifted its local Chandigarh office nearly a year earlier without informing the authorities. According to ANI, a committee constituted on September 24, 2025, to verify compliance reportedly found that the office had been vacated approximately a year ago without any intimation to the authorities. The committee conducted three visits to the local address on May 1, May 8 and May 19 and confirmed the office had been vacated without proper notification to the authorities. Acting on the committee's recommendations, the Licensing Authority invoked Rule 17 of the Chandigarh Administration Motor Vehicles Aggregators Rules, 2025, and suspended the company's licence with immediate effect for six months.
The suspension comes amid ongoing turbulence in the Tricity's app-based transport sector, with drivers associated with Ola, Uber and InDrive launching a series of protests and partial strikes across Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula over the past week. The agitation affected an estimated 50,000 daily commuters and saw drivers demanding implementation of Chandigarh's Aggregator Policy, revision of fares from ₹25 to ₹35 per kilometre and stricter regulation of app-based operators. Union representatives had alleged that despite notification of the Chandigarh Administration Motor Vehicles Aggregators Rules, 2025, effective enforcement remained pending and drivers continued to struggle with rising fuel prices, commissions charged by aggregators and increasing operational costs. The suspension is expected to significantly impact Ola's presence in the Tricity market, where Uber and InDrive have emerged as major competitors in recent years, potentially leading to reduced ride availability during peak hours.
