Uber, Ola, Rapido resume bike taxi services in Bengaluru; Karnataka HC says, 'There are lives at stake'

Two months after being forced to halt operations, bike taxi services have quietly reappeared on Uber, Ola and Rapido apps in Bengaluru, offering commuters a low-cost transport option once again.

Advertisment

Earlier this week, Riders across the city found that the bike taxi category was available for booking on the three major platforms, despite the absence of any formal order from the Karnataka government permitting their return. Screenshots of active bookings on the apps circulated widely on social media.

Finally, bike taxis are back on #Bengaluru roads! After being banned in #Karnataka since June 16, Rapido and Uber have resumed services in the city starting today.@THBengaluru@THBengalurupic.twitter.com/9EZcgwMkU4

— Darshan Devaiah B P (@DarshanDevaiahB) August 21, 2025

The move comes a day after the Karnataka High Court questioned the state’s blanket ban on such services. A division bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi, while hearing appeals from the three ride-hailing companies, observed that bike taxis constituted a legitimate trade under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution and could be regulated rather than prohibited.

“Give it a serious thought, there are lives at stake here. Every trade is permissible unless regulated. This (bike taxi) is not res extra commercium,” the bench remarked. The HC has reportedly asked the state government to frame rules by September 22, 2025.

The court also orally directed that no coercive action be taken against the operators until then. However, Karnataka’s Advocate General indicated that the government was not considering fresh guidelines at present, and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters that the administration would “bring this to the notice of the court” since no explicit permission had been given to resume services.

Bike taxis, once a staple of Bengaluru’s congested commute, have long faced legal hurdles. A single-judge bench in April ordered that operations cease unless rules were framed under the Motor Vehicles Act, a deadline later extended to June 15. When the state refused to draft such rules, citing union opposition and safety concerns, the services were suspended on June 16. The halt left officegoers scrambling and pushed auto-rickshaw fares sharply higher.

The Centre, however, moved in the opposite direction. Its Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, notified on July 1, explicitly allow private motorcycles to be used for passenger rides with state approval. At least 13 states already permit bike taxis.

Karnataka itself had once embraced the model, introducing an Electric Bike Taxi Policy in 2021, only to repeal it in March 2024 following pressure from auto-rickshaw unions.

“The court reflected on the critical role bike taxis play in providing affordable, safe, and efficient last-mile connectivity for commuters, emphasising that bike taxis are not a luxury but a necessity. Furthermore, the court underscored the protection of livelihood rights.,” said Adi Narayan, president of the Bike Taxi Welfare Association.