A file photo of a commuter using a bike taxi in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
After a gap of two months, several bike taxis resumed operations in Bengaluru on Thursday. This came after the High Court of Karnataka orally requested the State Advocate-General to ensure that authorities do not take any precipitative action against the bike taxi drivers, keeping in mind the pendency of the case before the court as “lives are at stake” in this matter.Finally, bike taxis are back on #Bengaluru roads! After being banned in #Karnataka since June 16, Rapido and Uber have resumed services in the city starting today.@THBengaluru@THBengalurupic.twitter.com/9EZcgwMkU4— Darshan Devaiah B P (@DarshanDevaiahB) August 21, 2025On August 20, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi, while hearing appeals filed by Rapido, Uber, Ola, and a few bike taxi owners/drivers, orally pointed out to A-G Shashi Kiran Shetty that bike taxis are permissible in law, and the government’s ‘policy decision’ not to allow bike taxis has resulted in prohibition of their legitimate commerce.However, the Bench did not pass any interim order in writing on operation of bike taxis while adjourning further hearing on the appeals till September 22.Meanwhile, Mr. Shetty had told the Bench that the operation of bike taxis may be a legitimate business, but the law does not vest them with a right to run the business unless there are rules and regulations framed for that purpose.No statement on decisionAs the government had not filed a detailed statement in writing on its ‘decision’ not to allow bike taxis and also not allow their service on the technology platforms of aggregators like Uber, Rapido an Ola, the Division Bench gave time till September 22 to the government to take a ‘conscious’ policy decision on the issue of bike taxis, so that the court could examine whether the policy stands legal scrutiny.Following this, the A-G said that the government, at the highest level, would decide whether or not the government should make a policy and if yes, then what should be the policy on bike taxis.While adjourning the hearing till September 22, the Bench orally told the A-G to give a serious thought over the issues raised in the appeals filed by the aggregators, individual bike taxi owners and their association, as it is an issue related to livelihood. The main reason for the government to ban bike taxis, which is an allowed under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, was issue of safety of women and objection for bike taxi service by the unions of autorickshaw drivers.Bike taxi operations were suspended on June 16 when all three major players, Rapido, Uber and Ola, disabled the option from their apps following the government’s ban and a single-judge Bench of the High Court on April 2 ordered bike taxi operators to cease operations by June 15 while declining to interfere with the ban.However, on August 21 morning, Uber, Ola and Rapido re-introduced the bike taxi booking feature. There was no response when The Hindu reached out to the aggregators.Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told The Hindu, “As per my knowledge, the High Court had not permitted the resumption of services. However, I have to discuss with the officials, and then we will look into the matter of the resumption of bike taxis by a few aggregators.”What the appeals saysThe aggregators and others, in their appeals before the Division Bench, have challenged the April 2 judgment of the single-judge Bench, which had declared that ‘unless the State Government notifies relevant guidelines under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Rules thereunder, the petitioners cannot operate as aggregators offering bike taxi services, and the Transport Department cannot be issued with directions to register motorcycles as transport vehicles or issue contract carriage permits’.Adi Narayan, president, Bike Taxi Welfare Association, said that the Bike Taxi Welfare Association “applauds the court’s balanced and thoughtful observations, reiterating its commitment to collaborating with the government and stakeholders to ensure that bike taxi services operate safely, legally, and sustainably benefiting commuters and operators alike.” Published - August 21, 2025 11:44 am IST
