Ride-hailing apps halt bike taxis as Karnataka HC’s ban kicks in
The Karnataka High Court had decided to ban bike taxis in the state as two-wheelers are classified as transport vehicles under the Motor Vehicles Act.
Ride-hailing apps, including Rapido and Uber, have paused their bike taxi offerings as Karnataka High Court’s bike taxi ban kicks in the state.
On Monday, Rapido and Uber had displayed the 'bike courier' option on their platforms, which has now been taken down.
The move to halt the bike taxi offering comes a day after Rapido issued a statement acknowledging the high court’s directives. It added that the company is “actively pursuing all avenues to support our captains.”
On its platform, Rapido confirmed that it is halting its bike taxi offering after recent orders. “While we deeply believe in the value bike taxis bring to daily commuters, we respect the law and will fully abide by the directive,” the post reads.
Ola Consumer too has removed all traces of the bike taxi feature on its platform.
Rival platform Uber has also suspended its bike taxi feature on its platform. On Monday, it had displayed the Moto Courier option to its users. The platform subsequently removed this option from the app.
“Uber has taken the difficult decision to suspend bike taxi operations in Karnataka from June 16 following an order from the Hon’ble High Court. This will negatively impact the many thousands of riders who rely on bike taxis for their daily mobility needs, as well as the many thousands of drivers who rely on the service for their livelihood. We will continue engaging with the Government of Karnataka to help shape a progressive policy framework that enables safe, accessible, and affordable mobility options for everyone," the company said in a statement.
Additionally, the Namma Bika Taxi Association also sent letters to the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the imposed ban.
“Over 1,00,000 gig workers in Bengaluru and across Karnataka are losing our right to earn and feed our families because of a blanket ban on bike taxi services. As their collective voice, this is an appeal to you to stop this ban and help us earn our daily bread with dignity,” the letter read.
While the central government has encouraged states to promote bike taxis under its 2016 guidelines, the implementation was left to the states. Karnataka chose to err on the side of caution, citing safety and legal compliance for banning bike taxis in the state.
Additionally, auto-rickshaw and cab unions have strongly opposed bike taxis, saying that they eat into their business due to their lower prices.
(The copy was updated to reflect recent developments.)
Edited by Kanishk Singh