Karnataka govt moves Supreme Court seeking ban on bike taxis

This move by the state government contrasts sharply with the position earlier outlined by CM Siddaramaiah in his letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Bengaluru: Karnataka has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the high court order passed in January that favoured bike taxis, according to a senior official from the Transport Department. 

“We have filed a Special Leave Petition, and it has been admitted successfully. There are many flaws in the high court order, which we are challenging,” he told DH. 

This move by the state government contrasts sharply with the position earlier outlined by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. 

In the January 2 letter, the CM said that, in line with high court directions, he had instructed Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and the chief secretary to begin drafting guidelines to allow bike taxis in the state. This was in response to a letter from Rahul, in which he highlighted the livelihood of thousands dependent on bike taxis. 

In August 2025, the Bike Taxi Welfare Association of India met Rahul in New Delhi, seeking his intervention to form a clear policy to regulate bike taxis in the state. 

While the CM had indicated that the state was moving towards framing a policy to allow bike taxis in line with judicial directions, while balancing safety, legality and employment concerns, the SLP argues against recognising motorcycles as contract carriages and defends the state’s discretion to deny permits. 

Details shared by the Transport Department regarding the grounds on which the SLP has been filed highlight that the judgment fundamentally misinterprets the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and undermines the state’s regulatory authority. 

At the core of the state’s case is the claim that granting permits for contract carriages, such as taxis, is not a right but a matter of discretion. Under sections 66, 74, and 80, transport authorities can refuse or condition permits, especially where safety and regulatory gaps exist, stated the document. The government argues that the high court wrongly treated permit issuance, ignoring this discretion. 

A key contention is that motorcycles are not legally designed or classified as transport vehicles for carrying passengers for hire. The act distinguishes between vehicle types based on their construction and intended use. 

“Categories like ‘motor cabs’ and ‘contract carriages’ are meant for commercial passenger transport, whereas motorcycles are defined primarily for personal use,” the transport official argued, adding that simply being able to carry a pillion rider does not qualify a motorcycle as a passenger transport vehicle in law. 

The SLP also highlights the absence of a regulatory framework for bike taxis in Karnataka. Unlike four-wheeled taxis governed under the Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregator Rules, 2016, there are no safety, fare, insurance or operational guidelines for motorcycles as taxis. This regulatory vacuum justifies denying permits on safety grounds, argues the SLP. 

“If the state government were not abiding by the law, then it would be right for the high court to step in. By effectively directing the state government to allow bike taxis, the high court is intruding into policymaking and hence overstepping its jurisdiction,” the official stated.