NEW DELHI, Oct. 12 -- Commuters in Maharashtra, long frustrated by unreliable buses and crowded commutes, may soon find daily shuttles safer, more reliable, and easier to book. And app-based shuttle operators in the state may finally gain legitimacy.

A new draft policy-the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Rules, 2025-proposes to formally bring private buses and contract carriages under the app-based aggregator framework for the first time. A copy of the draft, released on Saturday and reviewed by Mint but not yet public, requires operators to hold valid permits and bars vehicles older than eight years from use.

If implemented, the move could finally legitimize business-to-consumer (B2C) shuttle models like Uber Shuttle, Cityflo and Chalo, which...