Bengaluru: Bike taxis likely to stop operating from June 16 as state rules out policy framework

Bengaluru: Bike taxi operators in Karnataka are likely to cease operations from June 16 onwards, as the state government has made it clear that it will not frame a policy to legalise the contentious service. 

The High Court of Karnataka had set June 15 as the deadline for bike taxi services to stop operations. 

Bike taxi aggregators — Roppen Transportation Services Privated Limited (Rapido), ANI Technologies Private Limited (OLA), and Uber India Systems Private Limited — had petitioned the court to direct the Transport Department to allow the registration of motorcycles as transport vehicles. 

They argued that bike taxis help reduce traffic congestion and have been legalised in other states. 

After years of legal proceedings, a single-judge bench of the high court delivered its verdict on April 2, 2025. 

The court ruled that unless the state government notifies relevant guidelines under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and rules thereunder, the petitioners cannot operate as aggregators offering bike taxi services. It also said the Transport Department cannot be directed to register motorcycles as transport vehicles or issue contract carriage permits. 

While bike taxi operators were hoping that Karnataka would frame a policy to allow operations, Transport Department Secretary NV Prasad has categorically ruled it out. 

"We're here to implement the high court's judgement by the fullest force. There's no going back on it," told DH. 

Prasad noted that the court had left it to the government's discretion to decide whether or not to formulate the policy. "There will be no legal framework for bike taxi services. We have not held any stakeholder discussions on this," he added. 

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy declined to comment before the deadline ends. 

Yogeesh AM, Commissioner of Road Transport and Safety, said it was up to the government to decide whether a policy was needed. 

"We have to look at what the law says — personal two-wheelers cannot be used as bike taxis. No one is above the law," he told this newspaper and confirmed that no discussions on the policy had taken place. "I haven't taken part in any such discussions." 

Meanwhile, bike taxi operators are believed to have filed an appeal in the high court. The case may come up for hearing on June 13 or 14, an official in the know said. 

"If they've gone to court, we'll fight it. Whatever the court rules, we'll abide by it," Prasad reiterated. 

Rapido did not immediately respond to a DH request for comment on the matter.