Karnataka allows electric bikes to be run as taxis

CM Yediyurappa unveiled the ‘Electric Bike Taxi Scheme 2021’ which allows aggregators as well as individual bike owners to offer services

In a move that is set to have a major impact on the urban public transport, the Karnataka government on Wednesday made legal provisions for operating electric bike taxis to provide first- and last-mile connectivity in the urban areas.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa unveiled the ‘Electric Bike Taxi Scheme 2021’ which allows aggregators as well as individual bike owners to offer services.

He said the policy will create self employment through eco-friendly e-bikes which will complement public transport.

“The main objective of this scheme is to reduce the travel time and inconvenience faced by the public travelling between home and bus or railway or metro stations in the cities, especially in Bengaluru,” the chief minister said.

The GPS-enabled e-bike taxis have to operate for a maximum distance of 10 km. The transport authorities will specify the colour of the vehicle but the riders have to compulsorily wear yellow helmets and a jacket with the words ‘Electric Bike Taxi’ marked in reflective colour.

Read | Bike taxis may not be allowed on routes where BMTC buses ply

The riders have to have their antecedents checked and approved by the police.

To a question on the exemption provided to service providers with less than 50 bike taxis from installing GPS devices, an official in the Transport Department said they will have a relook into the matter. “We will seek to make all e-bikes comply with the rule. The data should be shared with the authorities,” he said.

Those interested in offering the services have to apply for a five-year licence, under the Karnataka On Demand Transport Technology Aggregator Rules 2016. Individual e-bike owners who seek to operate bike taxis are exempted from paying the licence fee and the Rs 5,000 security deposit. However, the taxes, fitness certificate and insurance rules will apply.

An official notification on the scheme is likely to be issued in Thursday’s gazette indicating when it will come into effect in urban areas across the state.

While officials expressed confidence that the measure will benefit the public, some autorickshaw and cab drivers shared their concerns over the e-bike taxis taking away the measly earnings during the pandemic.

Aravind Sanka, co-founder of bike taxi aggregator company Rapido, welcomed the policy but said the government should consider extending the scheme to conventional bikes.

“We also should not forget that most of the Bengaluru citizens currently own a fuel-based two-wheeler, which can help us solve the challenges of traffic congestion and the impact on income due to the pandemic. We are in talks with the state government to consider bikes as a taxi service and hope to see a similar development on this front as well,” he added.