Bike taxis are not luxury but necessity to ease traffic congestion, operators tell Karnataka high court

Time of India

26-06-2025

Bengaluru: The Bike Taxi Welfare Association argued on Wednesday that bike taxis are not a luxury, but a necessity in easing traffic congestion. The state govt's decision to ban the services affected 6.5 lakh bike taxis and 6 lakh dependent families.
Senior advocate Shashank Garg, appearing on behalf of the association, submitted that the drivers had taken loans and there are no alternative employment opportunities. They put hard-earned money into buying vehicles. He suggested some interim arrangement could be made to enable the vehicles to ply by imposing conditions for the safety of drivers and passengers.
Dwelling upon the ban, Garg submitted that there is a complete policy vacuum and pointed out that the E-bike rules of 2021 completely debunk the expert committee report of 2019, relied on by the state govt to ban bike taxis, as the E-taxi policy clearly spells out last-mile connectivity.
He added the expert committee only considered and confined itself to Bengaluru city before making their recommendation for imposing a ban.
He further claimed the ban was imposed more to benefit the autorickshaw drivers and termed it a political issue.
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Earlier, senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, appearing for a couple of motorcycle owners, continued his arguments. Referring to the ban, he submitted that the state govt cannot do it by an executive action.
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An executive action cannot supplant; it can only supplement. A transport vehicle with a contract carriage permit entitles it to be used as a taxi. The state created a scenario of impossibility. The state is duty-bound to give registration and permit.
It was that day the state created a scenario contrary to judgements of the SC and the division bench of this court, Dhyan Chinnappa further added.
"The state cannot complain that bike taxis are causing difficulties in Karnataka.
We have traffic in this city because people from all over come here and stay. Population growth is an indicator of a growing economy," he further submitted.
Meanwhile, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and CM Joshi adjourned the hearing to next Wednesday, i.e., July 2. Uber India Systems, ANI Technologies Private Ltd, and Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd (all aggregators), along with others, have challenged the single bench's order.
On April 2, 2025, a single bench disposed of their petitions, referring to an expert committee report of 2019, which considered the impact of bike taxis on traffic and safety. "Unless the state govt notifies relevant guidelines under Section 93 of Motor Vehicles Act and the rules framed thereunder, the petitioners cannot operate bike taxi services, and no directions can be issued to the state govt to consider their applications seeking the grant of aggregator permits/licences," the single bench said in its order.
It is always open to the state govt to take measures, i.e., framing guidelines in relation to bike taxi services, the order further stated, while granting six weeks' time to cease operations. The said period was further extended until June 15 by another order.