Bengaluru, 4 July

Karnataka government is set to ban bike taxi operations in the State, effective Friday. The Transport Department on Thursday ordered regional transport offices (RTOs) to crack down on unauthorised bike taxis, including electric bike taxis. The State alleges that bike taxis, operated through apps such as Ola, Uber, Rapido, and Namma Yatri, violate the Motor Vehicles Act. Following the directive, over 1,000 drivers barged into the Transport Department office in Shanti Nagar.

The crackdown against bike taxis came after autorickshaw, cab and bus operators’ associations met the transport commissioner on Thursday seeking a ban on illegal bike taxis. The ban comes amid disputes between auto, taxi and bike taxi riders, which have led to law and order issues, including concerns about women's safety. In March, Karnataka banned electric bike taxi services, labelling them “unsafe for women,” “illegal,” and in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Nataraj Sharma, President of the Federation of Private Transport Operators Association, told Salar News that the City has lakhs of auto drivers and good public transport, and it does not require e-bike taxis.  “E-bike taxis have impacted the livelihoods of 10 lakh autorickshaw drivers,” he said.

“They operate illegally without a commercial licence and regulatory measures. The riders’ identities are not disclosed, and some of the riders are also underage. Moreover, women’s safety is a major concern, and we have seen multiple cases of sexual harassment being reported,”  he said.

This crackdown comes despite Karnataka being the first state to introduce a Bike Taxi Scheme in 2021, aiming to improve last-mile connectivity and create jobs. However, the scheme faced criticism for not complementing the existing transport system. SALAR News