<p>Bengaluru: Bike taxi companies stopped operations in Karnataka on Monday but not before making a last-ditch attempt to stay afloat by rebranding their services. </p><p>Sunday (June 15) was the last date to shut down bike taxi services, as per the Karnataka High Court directive. Karnataka has refused to formulate a bike taxi policy, arguing that personal two-wheelers cannot be used as transport vehicles. </p><p>On Monday, ride-hailing firms initially tried to circumvent the ban: Rapido rebranded its bike taxi service as 'bike parcel' and Uber as 'moto courier'. In some cases, this resulted in a comedy of errors. </p>.Rapido driver slaps woman after she questions rash driving; booked .<p>A bike taxi captain was baffled to find himself picking up a passenger when the app had labelled the service as "parcel delivery". </p><p>A DH reporter was able to get a bike taxi ride around 5 pm by selecting 'moto courier' on Uber. But, by the time the ride ended, the service was no longer available. </p><p>In Bengaluru, the Transport Department launched a crackdown in 11 RTO limits and impounded 105 two-wheelers. </p><p>"Most of the vehicles were seized in Indiranagar (KA 03), KR Puram (KA 51) and Electronics City (KA 53). Most bike taxis belong to Rapido, while the rest were attached to Ola and Uber," an official in the know said. </p><p>The two-wheelers were seized for violating the vehicle registration conditions — using a personal two-wheeler as a transport vehicle or without the necessary permit, the official added. </p><p>RTO authorities monitored ride-hailing apps to identify bike taxi operators, the official said. </p><p>"For now, we have only impounded the vehicles. The traffic police will decide whether to fine them or not. The fine will be a minimum of Rs 5,000 and may go up to Rs 10,000 depending on the violation," the official explained on the condition of anonymity. </p><p>According to a well-informed source, Rapido decided to rebrand the service after its frantic attempts to get legal relief failed. Uber followed suit. </p><p>However, the crackdown forced all firms to fall in line. Rapido and Ola stopped their bike taxi services by 3 pm and Uber by 5 pm. </p><p>Uber said the ban would "negatively impact" the many thousands of people who rely on bike taxis for their daily mobility needs, as well as the many thousands of drivers who rely on the service for their livelihood. </p><p>"We will continue engaging with the government of Karnataka to help shape a progressive policy framework that enables safe, accessible and affordable mobility options for everyone," an official spokesperson said. </p><p>Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy admitted that bike taxis were rebranded as parcel services and vowed to stop them.</p>.<p> "It's a violation of the court directive and we will stop it. We have informed the high court that using personal two-wheelers for transport purposes is illegal. We stand by that," he told DH. </p><p>Reddy ruled out framing a bike taxi policy — as some states have done — arguing that it would affect 1.75 lakh auto-rickshaws in Bengaluru, who operate legally with requisite permits. </p><p>He also dismissed bringing back the electric bike taxi scheme. </p><p>On March 6, 2024, the Transport Department scrapped the Karnataka Electric Bike Taxi Scheme 2021, citing its "blatant misuse". It had noted that petrol two-wheelers were being used as electric bike taxis. </p><p>The ban has hit both drivers and passengers, as bike taxis had become the transport of choice for many last-mile travellers. </p><p>According to an estimate, the ban has affected over one lakh workers in Karnataka. </p><p>Seventy bike taxi drivers from the Namma Bike Taxi Association met Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, urging him to press the state government to explore regulated operations instead of a total ban. </p><p>The association said over 100 challans were reported and accused auto drivers of mistreating bike taxi captains. </p><p>"The drivers demand clear rules on licensing, insurance and safety rather than being criminalised overnight," association president Mohammed Salim said. </p><p>Bangalore Central MP, PC Mohan, said policy decisions should be scientific and focused on long-term solutions. </p><p>"Bike taxis can be part of urban mobility, but only with strict regulation and legal clarity," he wrote on X.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Bike taxi companies stopped operations in Karnataka on Monday but not before making a last-ditch attempt to stay afloat by rebranding their services. </p><p>Sunday (June 15) was the last date to shut down bike taxi services, as per the Karnataka High Court directive. Karnataka has refused to formulate a bike taxi policy, arguing that personal two-wheelers cannot be used as transport vehicles. </p><p>On Monday, ride-hailing firms initially tried to circumvent the ban: Rapido rebranded its bike taxi service as 'bike parcel' and Uber as 'moto courier'. In some cases, this resulted in a comedy of errors. </p>.Rapido driver slaps woman after she questions rash driving; booked .<p>A bike taxi captain was baffled to find himself picking up a passenger when the app had labelled the service as "parcel delivery". </p><p>A DH reporter was able to get a bike taxi ride around 5 pm by selecting 'moto courier' on Uber. But, by the time the ride ended, the service was no longer available. </p><p>In Bengaluru, the Transport Department launched a crackdown in 11 RTO limits and impounded 105 two-wheelers. </p><p>"Most of the vehicles were seized in Indiranagar (KA 03), KR Puram (KA 51) and Electronics City (KA 53). Most bike taxis belong to Rapido, while the rest were attached to Ola and Uber," an official in the know said. </p><p>The two-wheelers were seized for violating the vehicle registration conditions — using a personal two-wheeler as a transport vehicle or without the necessary permit, the official added. </p><p>RTO authorities monitored ride-hailing apps to identify bike taxi operators, the official said. </p><p>"For now, we have only impounded the vehicles. The traffic police will decide whether to fine them or not. The fine will be a minimum of Rs 5,000 and may go up to Rs 10,000 depending on the violation," the official explained on the condition of anonymity. </p><p>According to a well-informed source, Rapido decided to rebrand the service after its frantic attempts to get legal relief failed. Uber followed suit. </p><p>However, the crackdown forced all firms to fall in line. Rapido and Ola stopped their bike taxi services by 3 pm and Uber by 5 pm. </p><p>Uber said the ban would "negatively impact" the many thousands of people who rely on bike taxis for their daily mobility needs, as well as the many thousands of drivers who rely on the service for their livelihood. </p><p>"We will continue engaging with the government of Karnataka to help shape a progressive policy framework that enables safe, accessible and affordable mobility options for everyone," an official spokesperson said. </p><p>Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy admitted that bike taxis were rebranded as parcel services and vowed to stop them.</p>.<p> "It's a violation of the court directive and we will stop it. We have informed the high court that using personal two-wheelers for transport purposes is illegal. We stand by that," he told DH. </p><p>Reddy ruled out framing a bike taxi policy — as some states have done — arguing that it would affect 1.75 lakh auto-rickshaws in Bengaluru, who operate legally with requisite permits. </p><p>He also dismissed bringing back the electric bike taxi scheme. </p><p>On March 6, 2024, the Transport Department scrapped the Karnataka Electric Bike Taxi Scheme 2021, citing its "blatant misuse". It had noted that petrol two-wheelers were being used as electric bike taxis. </p><p>The ban has hit both drivers and passengers, as bike taxis had become the transport of choice for many last-mile travellers. </p><p>According to an estimate, the ban has affected over one lakh workers in Karnataka. </p><p>Seventy bike taxi drivers from the Namma Bike Taxi Association met Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, urging him to press the state government to explore regulated operations instead of a total ban. </p><p>The association said over 100 challans were reported and accused auto drivers of mistreating bike taxi captains. </p><p>"The drivers demand clear rules on licensing, insurance and safety rather than being criminalised overnight," association president Mohammed Salim said. </p><p>Bangalore Central MP, PC Mohan, said policy decisions should be scientific and focused on long-term solutions. </p><p>"Bike taxis can be part of urban mobility, but only with strict regulation and legal clarity," he wrote on X.</p>
