<p>Bengaluru: The uncertainty over bike taxis in Bengaluru has triggered a surge in scooter rentals, with services reporting a 10–20% rise in demand in recent months.</p>.<p>The spike coincided with the ban on bike taxis around June, said Abhishek Chandrashekar, Founder and CEO of Royal Brothers, a city-based rental firm.</p>.<p>"But we saw the actual impact in July and August, when monthly rental demand rose by 20%. Most customers prefer petrol-run scooters. To meet the demand, we added about 150 scooters last month," he said.</p>.<p>Royal Brothers operates a fleet of 5,500 two-wheelers, of which 4,300 are scooters. The firm plans to expand the fleet further if the trend continues.</p>.Celebrating 10 years of Royal Brothers fuelling life experiences.<p>Service operators said most new customers are corporate employees aged 22–35. Another major rental service recorded a 15% rise in bookings, and an EV rental service saw 25% in rides.</p>.<p>"Even if bike taxis resume, some commuters remain sceptical because of the uncertainty. Those with driving licences find rentals more efficient and cost-effective," a spokesperson for the company told DH. </p>.<p>The Wheels, with branches in Ejipura and Yelahanka, has been fully booked almost daily. "We run about 40 bikes, and the demand has kept us packed for a month," said founder Pradeep Stalin.</p>.<p><strong>Social media campaign</strong> </p>.<p>Rent Me Bikes, based in Kammanahalli, launched a social media campaign around the ban.</p>.<p>"It worked in our favour. We have been fully booked since July. Earlier, we had only been renting bikes to delivery agents. The demand for personal use rentals was low. But since the bike taxi controversy, there has been a complete shift in trend. Now, most of our clientele are private users," said Abdul Lateef, owner. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: The uncertainty over bike taxis in Bengaluru has triggered a surge in scooter rentals, with services reporting a 10–20% rise in demand in recent months.</p>.<p>The spike coincided with the ban on bike taxis around June, said Abhishek Chandrashekar, Founder and CEO of Royal Brothers, a city-based rental firm.</p>.<p>"But we saw the actual impact in July and August, when monthly rental demand rose by 20%. Most customers prefer petrol-run scooters. To meet the demand, we added about 150 scooters last month," he said.</p>.<p>Royal Brothers operates a fleet of 5,500 two-wheelers, of which 4,300 are scooters. The firm plans to expand the fleet further if the trend continues.</p>.Celebrating 10 years of Royal Brothers fuelling life experiences.<p>Service operators said most new customers are corporate employees aged 22–35. Another major rental service recorded a 15% rise in bookings, and an EV rental service saw 25% in rides.</p>.<p>"Even if bike taxis resume, some commuters remain sceptical because of the uncertainty. Those with driving licences find rentals more efficient and cost-effective," a spokesperson for the company told DH. </p>.<p>The Wheels, with branches in Ejipura and Yelahanka, has been fully booked almost daily. "We run about 40 bikes, and the demand has kept us packed for a month," said founder Pradeep Stalin.</p>.<p><strong>Social media campaign</strong> </p>.<p>Rent Me Bikes, based in Kammanahalli, launched a social media campaign around the ban.</p>.<p>"It worked in our favour. We have been fully booked since July. Earlier, we had only been renting bikes to delivery agents. The demand for personal use rentals was low. But since the bike taxi controversy, there has been a complete shift in trend. Now, most of our clientele are private users," said Abdul Lateef, owner. </p>