Bengaluru's bike taxi riders in a fix over ban, urge Karnataka govt to reverse crackdown

After Karnataka's bike taxi ban, riders called for a reversal, seeking legal recognition and regulation.

Days after the bike taxi ban in Karnataka, over a hundred bike taxi riders affiliated with the Namma Bike Taxi Association on Thursday convened with Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Dasarahalli MLA S Muniraju, calling for a reversal of the decision, news agency ANI reported.

Bike taxis were banned in Karnataka on June 16. (HT ARCHIVES/Photo for representation)(HT_PRINT)

Acting on behalf of thousands of drivers state-wide, the association submitted a formal appeal seeking lawful recognition for bike taxis and the introduction of a structured regulatory framework to eliminate confusion and harassment.

This meeting comes after several ignored communications to key political leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and MP Rahul Gandhi, the report stated. The Congress government in Karnataka came under fire for its silence particularly due to its recent passage of the Gig Worker Welfare Bill, a legislation meant to protect workers in flexible job markets.

“My phone won't stop ringing - 250 to 300 drivers call me every day, asking for help. And I don't know what to tell them. Should we lose our livelihoods because the government has no policy for bike taxis? We don't want chaos. We need regulation, not a ban,” Mohammed Salim, President, Namma Bike Taxi Association, said, as quoted by ANI.

Bike taxi drivers said there are rising tensions with auto-rickshaw unions, while commuters also expressed frustration over a spike in Bengaluru's traffic as well as auto rickshaw and taxi fares after the crackdown on bike taxis.

The Central Government’s Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines of 2020 classify bike taxis as legitimate under Section 2(7), but Karnataka has yet to enact corresponding state regulations. Although an Electric Bike Taxi Policy was introduced in 2021, it was quietly repealed in 2024 without explanation, leaving both service providers and users in a regulatory vacuum.

(With inputs from ANI)