No more cheap rides? Students, techies panic as popular bike taxis face ban in Bengaluru

A senior transport official that if an application is submitted to recognise bike taxis under regular aggregator services, it could be considered.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to stop bike taxi operations within six weeks.

The ruling, amid ongoing debates over their legality, has raised concerns among aggregators.

In a statement on Tuesday, a Rapido spokesperson said, “The High Court of Karnataka has directed aggregators to cease operations of bike taxis after six weeks and accordingly directed the State Transport Department to not take any adverse action within such time. Karnataka-born Rapido is concerned about the welfare of lakhs of bike taxi captains onboarded on the platform and will evaluate and pursue appropriate legal remedies once the detailed order is made available.”

While app-based bike taxis offer affordable and convenient travel, their legality has been contested by the Transport Department and other stakeholders.

Namrata, a techie commuting from Hebbal to Manyata Tech Park, pointed to the price gap: "A bike taxi costs Rs 70–Rs 80 for a 4.5–5 km trip, while an auto charges Rs 120–Rs 135 — sometimes more with a tip.”

Regina Sunderajan, a first-year degree student at Reva College, called Rapido a cost-saver: "Commuting from Jayanagar to Bagalur costs me at least Rs 700 daily, but with Rapido, I spend just Rs 300 — cutting my expenses in half.”

Frequent user Rijul Ballal added, “Autos and cabs may refuse rides, especially at night. Bike taxis are always available and arrive quickly.”

A senior transport official told DH that if an application is submitted to recognise bike taxis under regular aggregator services, it could be considered.

"But six weeks is too long. They can appeal in a higher court," the official said.