File photo of a commuters using bike taxi in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Following the refusal of the High Court of Karnataka to stay the order on suspension of bike taxi services, service providers were supposed to halt their services from June 16, 2025 (today). However, as of Monday morning, a few aggregators continued to operate bike taxis and commuters took rides on the two-wheelers in Bengaluru.
Bike taxi services of Uber and Ola were operational while another aggregator, Rapido, put up a message on its app which said: “Starting June 16, 2025, our Bike Taxi services in Karnataka will be paused in compliance with recent High Court orders.” It also said, “We are navigating the way forward with the government to bring your favourite bike taxis back on the road soon.”
Even as the Transport Department is ready to take action against bike taxi operations, thousands of commuters lamented the shutting down of an affordable transport service. While bike taxis were available, the wait time was quite high in the morning as the number of bikes was sparse.
“The government first banned car-pooling apps and now bike taxis. I am heavily dependent on these taxis for last-mile connectivity from my house in Malleshwaram to the metro station. Today, I booked a bike taxi on one of the apps and the wait time was 18 minutes. I would usually get it in less than 5 minutes. The cost of bike taxis is almost 50% less than that of autorickshaws,” said Shriya Kumari, a post graduate student.
Riders write to Siddaramaiah, Rahul Gandhi
On June 15, a day before the ban was supposed to come into effect, Namma Bike Taxi Association, a representation of bike taxi riders in Bengaluru, wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi requesting them for a sustainable solution instead of an overnight ban.
“Over 1,00,000 gig workers in Bengaluru and across Karnataka are losing our right to earn and feed our families because of a blanket ban on bike taxi services. As their collective voice, this is an appeal to you to stop this ban and help us earn our daily bread with dignity. We, bike taxi drivers, are students, daily-wage earners, helpers, parents — many of us turned to this work when other jobs were not available, especially after COVID. Some of us work all 7 days, covering 10-12 hours a day, just to feed our families. We ride in the hot sun, heavy rain, and traffic to keep the city moving. This is how we pay rent, school fees, and medical bills. Bike taxis are not a side income. They are how we survive,” Mohammed Salim, the president of the Association said in the letter.
Published – June 16, 2025 12:53 pm IST