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.

Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) have been instructed to form special squads to identify and penalise illegal bike taxi operators, particularly in Bengaluru.