Latest news with #ElectricBikeTaxiScheme
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Karnataka Bike Taxi Ban to Take Effect
Bengaluru: As the clock strikes midnight on June 15, Karnataka's bustling bike taxi services, a lifeline for millions in traffic-choked Bengaluru, will grind to a halt. The Karnataka High Court's refusal on Friday to stay an order banning operations from June 16 has sealed the fate of aggregators like Rapido, Ola, and Uber, marking a contentious end to a decade-long run in urban mobility. This decision, rooted in the state government's failure to frame a legal framework, has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with fears of job losses, worsening traffic, and a blow to the gig economy. Bike taxis first emerged in Karnataka around 2015, with Rapido capitalising on Bengaluru's notorious congestion to offer affordable, nimble last-mile connectivity. Ola and Uber soon followed, tapping into a demand that public transport struggled to meet. By 2021, the BJP-led government launched an ambitious Electric Bike Taxi Scheme, positioning Karnataka as a pioneer in green mobility and job creation. Yet, the initiative faced immediate backlash from auto-rickshaw and taxi unions, who saw the cheaper fares as a threat to their livelihoods. The scheme's withdrawal in March 2024, citing safety concerns and misuse of non-transport bikes, underscored the political clout of these unions. A 2022 interim High Court order had briefly allowed operations to continue, but the April 2, 2025, ruling by Justice B M Shyam Prasad demanded a regulatory framework within three months, which is a deadline the Congress-led government ignored. The court's latest refusal to extend relief, reported by legal analysts, reflects this inaction, leaving operators with no recourse. The ban's immediate impact will be felt by over 600,000 riders and commuters, according to Rapido's estimates presented to the court. Social media has amplified the outcry. Former Infosys CFO T V Mohandas Pai took to social media platform X, urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to reconsider, calling the ban 'anti-citizen.' 'Please allow Bike taxis in Bengaluru. They are providing huge jobs, and very useful service for citizens. Our Metro is way behind schedule, bus service inadequate, we cannot have more using personal vehicles. Bike taxis reduce vehicles. Why is our govt hurting citizens like this? This is Anti Citizen', he said. Bengaluru, often dubbed the 'Silicon Valley of India,' grapples with some of the world's worst traffic. Bike taxis, with a Passenger Car Unit (PCU) of 0.38 for two passengers, offered a leaner alternative to cars (PCU 1.0). Their removal, critics argue, will clog roads further, forcing commuters into costlier autos or private vehicles. The state government defends the ban, citing safety risks and the lack of a legal framework under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Yet, no concrete data supports these claims, and the 2019 Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) report, which opposed bike taxis, focused on congestion without addressing operational safety. The ban's roots lie in a decades-old rivalry between traditional transport unions and modern aggregators. Auto unions, celebrating the court's decision, have long pressured the government which is a dynamic that led to the 2024 scrapping of the electric bike policy. This contrasts with a January 2024 Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways advisory encouraging states to legalise bike taxis; a trend Karnataka has bucked. Globally, cities like Jakarta thrive with regulated two-wheeler taxis, supporting 1.5 million drivers. In India, Maharashtra and Delhi are drafting frameworks, making Karnataka's stance an outlier. From June 16, enforcement will begin, with Transport Commissioner A M Yogesh confirming compliance with the court order last month. Riders may pivot to informal services, raising safety concerns without oversight. The ball is now in the government's court to draft regulations, but with the three-month deadline lapsed, optimism is low.
NDTV
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Karnataka Minister Asks Authorities To Enforce High Court's Bike Taxi Ban
Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has instructed officials to implement a High Court order and stop bike taxi services across the state within six weeks. The directive follows a High Court ruling, which prohibited Rapido, Uber, and Ola from operating bike taxis unless the state government notified specific regulations under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Without these rules, Justice Shyam Prasad said bike taxis are illegal. In a letter to Transport Commissioner Yogesh AM and Principal Secretary Dr N V Prasad, Mr Reddy called for immediate action. "The High Court has given three bike taxi aggregators - Uber India Systems, Roppen Transportation Services, and ANI Technologies - a six-week deadline to cease their operations in Karnataka. I have instructed the officials to comply with the same," he wrote. How The Legal Battle Started The legal battle began in 2016 when Rapido, under its parent company Roppen Transportation Services Limited, started bike taxi services in Karnataka, but the state Transport Department declared them illegal. Authorities argued that private two-wheelers cannot be used for commercial purposes under state rules. This led to multiple crackdowns, including the seizure of hundreds of bikes in 2019 and 2022, following protests from auto rickshaws and cab unions who claimed bike taxis were harming their businesses. In response, Rapido approached the Karnataka High Court, seeking permission to operate legally. In July 2021, the state introduced the Karnataka Electric Bike Taxi Scheme, legalising bike taxis but limiting them to electric vehicles (EVs). The High Court also issued an interim order preventing any action against Rapido while the case was pending. Tensions continued, with auto rickshaw unions clashing with bike taxi riders. In April 2024, the High Court ordered the state to protect bike taxi operators from harassment by autorickshaw drivers. The state withdrew the Electric Bike Taxi Scheme in March 2024, citing safety concerns and misuse, but Rapido continued its operations, protected by the court's interim order. On November 12, 2024, the High Court reserved its judgment on Rapido's plea to register two-wheelers as transport vehicles and issue permits under the Motor Vehicles Act. The state argued that white-plate bikes violated regulations. On April 2, the court ruled that bike taxis can't operate without state regulations, impacting platforms like Rapido, which has around 1.2 lakh riders in Bengaluru.
