Karnataka High Court removes bike taxi ban; opens door for Ola, Uber, and Rapido

The Karnataka High Court on Friday lifted the ban on bike taxi services in the state, clearing the way for platforms such as Ola, Uber and Rapido to resume operations, subject to compliance with existing transport laws.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi allowed appeals filed by cab aggregators ANI Technologies, which operates Ola, along with Uber and Rapido, setting aside an April 2025 order of a single judge that had directed a halt to bike taxi services until the state framed specific rules governing such operations. The bench held that motorcycles can be used as transport vehicles, provided they are registered and operated in accordance with the law.

The court clarified that bike taxi operators are free to apply for registration of two-wheelers as transport vehicles or taxis. While the state government is at liberty to examine all relevant aspects while considering such applications, registration cannot be refused solely on the ground that the vehicle is a motorcycle.

The bench added that transport authorities may impose conditions as deemed necessary under law, including those under Section 74(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act. Aggregators were also granted liberty to file fresh applications, which must be considered in line with the court’s observations.

The ban had originated from an order passed on April 2, 2025, by single-judge Justice B Shyam Prasad, who directed that all bike taxi services in Karnataka be stopped within six weeks unless the state undertook a policy change and framed rules permitting such operations. The deadline was later extended following representations from affected operators. Individual bike taxi drivers and the Bike Taxi Welfare Association subsequently joined the appeals, which were allowed on Friday.

During the hearings, the Division Bench repeatedly questioned the state government over delays in putting a regulatory framework in place and indicated that it was inclined to lift the ban if rules were not notified within a reasonable timeframe.

The ruling comes as a relief for thousands of bike taxi riders whose livelihoods were affected after services were suspended in June 2025, when the High Court had earlier declined to stay the government’s decision to enforce the ban. Following that order, Ola, Uber and Rapido removed bike taxi options from their apps. Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had then stated that aggregators were required to comply with the court’s directions, noting that a total of 12 weeks had elapsed since the initial order.

The suspension had triggered protests by gig workers across the state. Rider bodies such as the Namma Bike Taxi Association had urged the government to reconsider the ban, warning that it had severely impacted incomes and daily livelihoods. In a letter written in June to Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the association said that over 1,00,000 gig workers in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka were affected by the blanket ban. Riders had also submitted petitions to state ministers seeking legal recognition for bike taxis and a clear policy framework to address regulatory uncertainty.

With Friday’s order, bike taxi services can legally operate again in Karnataka, provided operators obtain the necessary licences and comply with existing transport regulations.