Karnataka Has No Plan To Review Its Bike Taxis Ban: Report

Amid impending ban on bike taxis in Karnataka, the state government reportedly has no plan to review its March 2024 order prohibiting bike taxi operations.

While the Karnataka High Court recently extended the deadline to halt bike taxi services to June 15, millions of commuters and lakhs of bike taxi drivers, along with aggregators like Ola, Uber and Rapido, are expected to bear the brunt of the ban.

The trio has already filed a petition challenging the Karnataka state government’s decision, following which the HC granted the extension.

Not to forget, the HC, in its order on April 2, gave six weeks to these bike platforms to wind down operations in the state, citing the absence of a regulatory framework under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

As per an ET report, the government’s reluctance to reconsider the ban stems from the fact that unlike autos and cabs, bike taxis do not pay recurring taxes and are primarily intended for private use. 

While only a one-time lifetime tax is levied on the purchase of bikes, around 1.7 Lakh autos ply on Bengaluru’s roads and pay quarterly taxes. Cabs, too, are subject to similar tax norms.

However, there has been a change in the tax system around commercial vehicles like cabs and autos lately. While autos and cabs previously paid quarterly taxes, the system has shifted to a lifetime tax structure for most commercial vehicles as of May 2025.

Taking a similar approach, Karnataka’s Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy recently directed the transport department officials to enforce the High Court’s order to suspend bike taxi operations.

In the absence of bike taxis, commuters are expected to face higher fares. Adding to their woes, state-run bus fares have already seen a 15% hike, while the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) increased metro fares by nearly 50% earlier this year.

It is estimated that between 75,000 and 1 Lakh bike-taxi riders in Bengaluru are associated with various ride-hailing platforms. During the HC hearing earlier, Rapido argued that the court’s earlier directive could impact the livelihoods of nearly 6 Lakh bike taxi drivers affiliated with the platform.

The obvious beneficiaries of this move are autorickshaw operators and cab service providers. There has been ongoing unrest in Karnataka over the alleged illegal operations of bike taxis. Protests led by driver and autorickshaw unions prompted the transport department to carry out a special enforcement drive against such services.

Additionally, the demand for a proper regulatory framework for bike taxis stems from growing concerns around women’s safety.

Karnataka was also forced to shut down its e-bike scheme, launched in 2021 to improve first- and last-mile connectivity from metro, bus, and railway stations. The move came after union-led protests over alleged misuse of the scheme. In parallel, bike taxi unions have also shown resistance to certain state actions.

There have been several instances of a physical standoff between the auto drivers and bike drivers in the last few years, with many videos of abusing bike taxi drivers going viral.

The Bike Taxi Welfare Association had filed a petition in the High Court, highlighting reports of clashes between auto drivers and bike taxi operators in the city. In response to this petition, the High Court directed the state government to ensure the protection of bike taxi operations in Karnataka.

While Karnataka continues to grapple with the issue, the Maharashtra government approved bike taxis to operate in the state.