Bengaluru commuters celebrate return of bike-taxis on social media, share relief and excitement

Bengaluru's bike-taxi services resumed on August 21 after a two-month ban, following which social media was flooded by comments from relieved commuters.

Published on: Aug 21, 2025, 18:53:35 IST

By Yamini C S, Bengaluru

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Public reactions started pouring in after bike‑taxi services were resumed in Bengaluru as of August 21, with platforms like Uber and Rapido back on the road after a two‑month hiatus following a state‑level ban enforced in June.

Bike-taxis back in Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court deemed the ban legally untenable, allowing ride-hailing apps to restart operations. (HT Archive)

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The Karnataka High Court recently called the ban “thin” and “legally untenable,” upholding the right of operators to their livelihood and urging the government to work toward a clear regulatory framework.

Following the ruling, Uber and Rapido promptly restarted operations, while Ola has yet to follow suit.

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The court has also requested that drivers not face penalties in the meantime, and the next hearing is scheduled for September 22, 2025.

On social media, users have expressed relief at the return of this popular, affordable mode of commute, especially helpful in severe traffic. Several celebrated the move, with one Bengaluru resident commenting: “My wallet can finally breathe,” to a post on Reddit.

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“Its back and i rode today , got confronted by 3 difft auto annas , they were angry by seeing my driver riding Rapido but didn't yell at me and thankfully my driver was very fluent in Kannada and he was to talk them out. They apparently identified us by seeing the rapido icon of my captain's phone . CRAZY,” Another user said.

“Booked a Rapido bike after so long…..feels good to be back,” a commuter posted. “Felt so good to finally hop on one again instead of waiting forever for autos. Quick, cheap, and honestly the best way to dodge Bengaluru traffic,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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