With no clarity on rules, bike taxi passengers and drivers left in dark

The fight between autorickshaw drivers and riders of bike taxis is leading to unruly and violent incidents even as the transport department has taken a back seat by citing a court order.

Passengers, who hire bike taxis are left to fend for themselves, thanks to the lack of a regulatory mechanism which ensures their safety and security. Days after a woman who booked a Rapido taxi complained about the lewd behaviour of a driver, a passenger and the bike taxi driver who came to pick him up from Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal were assaulted by autorickshaw drivers. The assault comes days after another bike taxi driver was beaten up in HSR Layout.

Transport Commissioner T H M Kumar was not available for comment. However, an official looking into the bike taxi row said the department has not been taking action against bike taxis due to a petition filed by Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd, the company which aggregates bike taxis through the Rapido app.

In August 2021, the Karnataka High Court directed transport authorities not to take coercive action against bike taxis. The authorities, while not cracking down on Rapido, booked cases against bike owners who have used the vehicle for commercial purposes without a valid licence. In March, Roppen Transportation filed a contempt of court petition.

"We are not against any company offering bike taxis. We want the companies to obtain the licence under the bike taxi policy approved by the state government," an official said.
As per the policy, only electric bikes are allowed to be used for commercial purposes after getting the necessary clearances from the department.

"Use of bikes for commercial purposes without a licence entails legal consequences, including the difficulty in claiming insurance in case of an accident," the official added.