Bike Taxi Association calls for an inclusive regulatory framework in Karnataka

Over 100 bike taxi drivers, representing the Bike Taxi Association (BTA), convened on Saturday at the Karnataka Transport Minister's office in Bengaluru in a peaceful demonstration to submit a formal representation on framing a regulatory framework for operating bike taxi services in Karnataka.

“The submission underscored the urgent livelihood concerns of more than 6 lakh Kannadiga riders, with over 75% relying on bike taxi services as their primary source of income,” the release read.

The drivers appealed for a fair, inclusive, and sustainable regulatory framework that acknowledges the critical role bike taxis play in the state's mobility ecosystem, it added.

The association in its memorandum, emphasised that bike taxis and delivery two-wheelers operate under the same statutory framework as defined by Section 66 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it said in a statement.

The drivers requested the government to issue clear guidelines for bike taxis, citing that these services support over 20 lakh commuters in Bengaluru, with over 50 lakh rides facilitated monthly through mobility aggregator platforms.

The association added that more than 80% bike taxi riders including women are local kannadiga men and women, who have been earning respectfully since the last six years through Bike Taxis, and are willing to pay whatever permit fee or tax government may levy for operating bike taxis.