Karnataka withdraws electric bike taxi services: ‘Illegal and unsafe for women’

The Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has banned the electric bike taxi services in Karnataka. The state government said the operation of electric bike taxis was found to be "unsafe for women" and violated the Motor Vehicles Act. 

The Electric Bike Taxi Scheme, 2021 was withdrawn through a government order on March 6.

The order notified that the 2021 Karnataka Electric Bike Taxi Scheme has been withdrawn. “It has come to our notice that certain private app-based firms are violating the Motor Vehicles Act and its rules and running illegal non-transport two-wheelers as the transport vehicles,” it said.

It also said there were often clashes between the owners and drivers of auto rickshaws and "maxi cabs" with the bike riders and cases were also registered in Karnataka. The scheme also made it difficult for the Karnataka transport department to collect taxes. 

As per the order, the government has cancelled the scheme to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of women travelling on two-wheeler bike taxis.  

The move comes after the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association, which represents several auto rickshaw, cab and bus operators, met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy to explain how e-bike taxis were hurting the livelihood of lakhs of auto drivers.

President of the Ola Uber Drivers and Owners Association, Tanveer Pasha, welcomed the decision and said the then BJP government had in 2021 given permission to electric bike taxis in Bengaluru. 

“In spite of our opposition, the permission was not withdrawn. We had been agitating against this and even tried to explain to the government about the impact of this permission on auto and taxi drivers' life,” he said.

Will Rapido, Uber Moto, Ola Bike be unavailable in Bengaluru? 

Rapido has issued an official statement regarding the ban on electric bike taxi services in Karnataka.

“The notification issued by the state government does not pertain to Rapido's bike taxi operations within the state of Karnataka and Rapido will continue to operate and serve both its customers and captains in Karnataka without any disruptions,” a Rapido spokesperson said. 

Notably, Rapido had filed a writ petition before the Karnataka High Court in 2021 concerning its bike taxi operations in the state. The HC had granted an interim order in favour of Rapido in August 2021 and directed the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai-led Karnataka government to not take any coercive action against Rapido or its riders.