Bike Taxi Aggregators Write To Delhi Govt, Seek Time Till 2025-26 For EV Transition

Bike taxi aggregators have reportedly written to the Delhi government seeking approval to operate in the national capital region while also allowing them more time to convert to electric vehicles by 2025-26. 

At the same time, bike taxi aggregators have also asked for a level playing field for the timelines for converting their fleets to electric vehicles. 

Bike taxi companies have alleged that there is a discrepancy in electrification norms between ecommerce delivery bike drivers and those who use them for ride-hailing. 

According to a Business Standard report, the companies, which were recently banned from operating bike taxis in Delhi, have asked for an extension in the timelines to electrify the entire fleet prescribed in the Delhi government’s draft EV policy.

The development also comes days after Delhi’s transport minister had publicly stated that the government is keeping the two-wheelers in its plans for a draft aggregator policy, which would be created as prescribed by the Centre.

To recap, the Delhi government banned the likes of Ola, Uber and Rapido from operating bike taxis earlier this week. The state government stated that the companies were using bikes with private registration numbers (white number plates) for commercial purposes, which was a violation of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.

However, under Section 15 of the Motor Vehicle Aggregators Guidelines of 2020, the Central government has made the provision to allow non-transport vehicles, which includes bikes, to be aggregated. The bike taxi aggregators have reportedly argued that the Delhi government’s argument is fallacious.

Electrification Blues For Bike Taxi Aggregators

Incidentally, bike aggregator companies have to ensure that any new vehicles they onboard from the date of commencement of the scheme are electric, under the Delhi government’s new draft aggregator policy.

Further, the government has mandated bike taxi aggregators to convert their fleet to 100% electric by the second year of the notification, though the same deadline for last-mile delivery companies is April 1, 2030.

Bike taxi aggregators argued that if ride-hailing drivers are forced to convert to EVs, they would simply go and work for ecommerce and food delivery companies, signalling the end of the segment. 

Incidentally, bike taxi aggregators estimate that they clock in 10-12 Mn trips every week across the country, with Delhi accounting for nearly a fourth of all trips. Bike taxis are seen as an affordable mode of transportation for first-mile and last-mile use cases.

According to the companies, there are more than 500K bike taxi drivers in the country, with 120,000 active drivers based in Delhi.