Patna: Bihar has made police verification mandatory for delivery personnel, gig workers and cab drivers across the state, in a move aimed at tightening public safety and reducing the risk of crime linked to unverified service workers. Aggregator companies, including those operating in food delivery, e-commerce and ride-hailing services, have been told they cannot recruit or deploy staff without completing character and background checks.
The directive, issued by the Bihar Police headquarters, instructs all district superintendents of police to enforce the rule strictly. Officials said the measure was introduced to improve customer security and ensure greater accountability in the rapidly expanding gig economy, where thousands of workers interact directly with households every day.
Nearly 250,000 workers are expected to come under the ambit of the new regulation. Authorities acknowledged that many companies often hire quickly to meet growing demand, sometimes without conducting comprehensive background verification. Police will now maintain detailed records of workers to help identify individuals swiftly in the event of any criminal incident and to prevent those with questionable histories from entering the sector.
The delivery and ride-hailing network is most concentrated in Patna, Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur, with services also expanding rapidly in Gaya, Darbhanga and Purnia. Special police teams will work with companies in these cities to streamline the verification process. Workers already employed will be required to submit character certificates within a stipulated timeframe.
Companies have been asked to share complete employee data with local authorities and ensure full compliance with the guidelines. Officials said the move is intended to build public trust in platform-based services while creating a safer environment for customers across Bihar.
