<p>Bike taxis have been a contentious issue in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bengaluru">Bengaluru</a>, with a longstanding impasse between mobility aggregators, the Karnataka Transport Department and auto-rickshaw unions in the state. The recent order of the Karnataka High Court banning bike taxis until the state government formulates appropriate guidelines to regulate them has come as a shock to bike taxi commuters in Bengaluru. This decision comes at a time when the Government of Maharashtra has announced permission for electric bike taxis in cities with over one lakh population.</p>.<p>Since its initial launch in Bengaluru in 2016, bike taxi operations have been considered illegal, as they are not permitted to be used as commercial vehicles in Karnataka. There have been numerous raids and investigations by the transport department on private bikes being used as bike taxis. </p>.<p>"While the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has given a go-ahead to cover bike taxis as contract carriage vehicles under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it has left the permit process to the state governments. Over 13 states and union territories have framed policies on bike taxis. However, the Government of Karnataka continues to be reluctant to allow them to ply on its roads.</p>.<p>One view has been that bike taxis are a cheap and affordable mode of transportation, especially for last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru. Bike taxi fares are around Rs 8-10 per km, far lower than Rs 15 per km, which is the current auto fare in Karnataka. For instance, 2019 trip data from OLA in Gurugram and Jaipur shows that the majority of trips taken via bike taxis covered either short or medium distances. This suggests that commuters are more likely to use bike taxis for last-mile connectivity while still preferring other modes of public transport for longer distances. Proponents of bike taxis also argue that it reduces congestion on roads and contributes to the reduction of pollution due to lower emissions in <br>comparison to cabs and auto rickshaws. MoRTH has also recognised bike taxis as a mechanism to use idle assets for improved mobility.</p>.<p>In 2019, a committee on ‘Efficient and sustainable transport in Bengaluru and bike taxis’ was constituted under the aegis of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) to assess whether bike taxis should be permitted in the state. This report recognises the benefits of bike taxis in terms of affordability, last-mile connectivity and their ability to delay or suppress vehicle ownership by enhancing connectivity in the city. However, it also notes that permitting bike taxis is likely to shift users away from non-motorised transport and public transport, cause unregulated parking and road obstruction and increase vehicular kilometres on the road. It also highlights safety concerns with bike taxis and dead kilometres due to bikes having to ply empty to reach passengers. The report concludes against permitting bike taxis, arguing that existing bike rental services provide the same benefits as bike taxis. However, recent backlash from citizens proves otherwise.</p>.Digital services association urges Karnataka govt to speed up on bike taxi guidelines.<p>It is pertinent to note that the 2019 Committee Report relied on existing data for its findings, acknowledging the need for primary data collection and deeper research to improve mobility systems in the city. In the absence of sufficient user surveys and data collection on ridership from aggregators, preventing citizens from using bike taxis as a mobility measure is likely to cause serious inconvenience to citizens.</p>.<p>The footpath and pedestrian infrastructure in Bangalore are severely lacking, with multiple citizen-led surveys proving that roads in Bangalore are not walkable. In this context, banning bike taxis in a bid to force citizens to zealously use non-motorised transport is unjustified. At the same time, there is an urgent need to regulate bike taxis by providing for registration mechanisms, GPS tracking processes, safety and licensing requirements through rules under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The government must also look at incentivising aggregators to adopt EV fleets for bike taxis.</p>.<p>The bike taxi fiasco presents an opportunity for the state government to engage in empirical policy-making, especially since aggregators already have access to copious information on ridership, <br>concentration of rides, accidents, drivers, etc. A comprehensive study is the need of the hour, and any decision taken purely based on political pressures or on the insistence of unions is detrimental to mobility for citizens.</p>.<p><em>(The writer is a Senior Resident Fellow at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Karnataka)</em></p>
<p>Bike taxis have been a contentious issue in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bengaluru">Bengaluru</a>, with a longstanding impasse between mobility aggregators, the Karnataka Transport Department and auto-rickshaw unions in the state. The recent order of the Karnataka High Court banning bike taxis until the state government formulates appropriate guidelines to regulate them has come as a shock to bike taxi commuters in Bengaluru. This decision comes at a time when the Government of Maharashtra has announced permission for electric bike taxis in cities with over one lakh population.</p>.<p>Since its initial launch in Bengaluru in 2016, bike taxi operations have been considered illegal, as they are not permitted to be used as commercial vehicles in Karnataka. There have been numerous raids and investigations by the transport department on private bikes being used as bike taxis. </p>.<p>"While the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has given a go-ahead to cover bike taxis as contract carriage vehicles under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it has left the permit process to the state governments. Over 13 states and union territories have framed policies on bike taxis. However, the Government of Karnataka continues to be reluctant to allow them to ply on its roads.</p>.<p>One view has been that bike taxis are a cheap and affordable mode of transportation, especially for last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru. Bike taxi fares are around Rs 8-10 per km, far lower than Rs 15 per km, which is the current auto fare in Karnataka. For instance, 2019 trip data from OLA in Gurugram and Jaipur shows that the majority of trips taken via bike taxis covered either short or medium distances. This suggests that commuters are more likely to use bike taxis for last-mile connectivity while still preferring other modes of public transport for longer distances. Proponents of bike taxis also argue that it reduces congestion on roads and contributes to the reduction of pollution due to lower emissions in <br>comparison to cabs and auto rickshaws. MoRTH has also recognised bike taxis as a mechanism to use idle assets for improved mobility.</p>.<p>In 2019, a committee on ‘Efficient and sustainable transport in Bengaluru and bike taxis’ was constituted under the aegis of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) to assess whether bike taxis should be permitted in the state. This report recognises the benefits of bike taxis in terms of affordability, last-mile connectivity and their ability to delay or suppress vehicle ownership by enhancing connectivity in the city. However, it also notes that permitting bike taxis is likely to shift users away from non-motorised transport and public transport, cause unregulated parking and road obstruction and increase vehicular kilometres on the road. It also highlights safety concerns with bike taxis and dead kilometres due to bikes having to ply empty to reach passengers. The report concludes against permitting bike taxis, arguing that existing bike rental services provide the same benefits as bike taxis. However, recent backlash from citizens proves otherwise.</p>.Digital services association urges Karnataka govt to speed up on bike taxi guidelines.<p>It is pertinent to note that the 2019 Committee Report relied on existing data for its findings, acknowledging the need for primary data collection and deeper research to improve mobility systems in the city. In the absence of sufficient user surveys and data collection on ridership from aggregators, preventing citizens from using bike taxis as a mobility measure is likely to cause serious inconvenience to citizens.</p>.<p>The footpath and pedestrian infrastructure in Bangalore are severely lacking, with multiple citizen-led surveys proving that roads in Bangalore are not walkable. In this context, banning bike taxis in a bid to force citizens to zealously use non-motorised transport is unjustified. At the same time, there is an urgent need to regulate bike taxis by providing for registration mechanisms, GPS tracking processes, safety and licensing requirements through rules under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The government must also look at incentivising aggregators to adopt EV fleets for bike taxis.</p>.<p>The bike taxi fiasco presents an opportunity for the state government to engage in empirical policy-making, especially since aggregators already have access to copious information on ridership, <br>concentration of rides, accidents, drivers, etc. A comprehensive study is the need of the hour, and any decision taken purely based on political pressures or on the insistence of unions is detrimental to mobility for citizens.</p>.<p><em>(The writer is a Senior Resident Fellow at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Karnataka)</em></p>