Bike taxis back on Bengaluru roads; minister says 'court didn't permit'

Bengaluru: Bike taxis made a return on the streets of Bengaluru on Thursday morning, after a two-month-long hiatus.

After the Karnataka High Court questioned the bike taxi ban and asked the state government to "give it a serious thought. There are lives at stake here”, on August 20, Uber, Ola and Rapido brought back the bike taxi feature on their platforms. Bike taxi operations had been suspended since June 16, following a single judge order prohibiting bike taxi services.

While Uber and Rapido resumed the service early Thursday morning, the bike taxi service saw a return on Ola later in the day. The ride-aggregator platforms were not available for an immediate comment.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy called out the platforms for their “hasty actions”. “The court has given us a month’s time to decide if we want to frame a bike taxi policy. But nowhere did it permit the plying of bike taxis immediately. The platforms are not sticking by the court’s order,” he told DH.

The transport department is yet to make a decision on the enforcement of bike taxis.

Various auto and transport associations have also come forward in protest against the return of bike taxis.