Ban on app-based bike taxis: Yay or nay?

The Delhi government’s ban on two-wheeler/bike taxi services, as provided by ride-aggregators such as Uber, OIa, Rapido and others in the Capital, has been reinstated by the Supreme Court. But the decision is inducing mixed response from the drivers as well as frequent travellers.

The Supreme Court has reinstated the Delhi government’s ban on two-wheeler/bike taxi services by ride-aggregators such as Uber, OIa, Rapido and others, in the Capital. While Uber had earlier challenged the government’s order in High Court, the Supreme Court has now directed the mobile apps to stop operations of these until the new policy is framed regarding license and permit of bike taxis.

The ban on two-wheeler bike services in Delhi was recently reinstated by the Supreme Court. (Photo: Abhinav Saha/HT (For representational purposes only))

“This is super bad news for me! I’m not a native of Delhi and don’t understand the public transport network so well that I hop and off the Delhi Metro or buses and expect myself to reach the right destination. That’s why booking a bike had become extremely convenient to me since they were introduced on the mobile apps that we use daily. Through these, I would usually reach my destination faster and at a much lesser cost as compared to cabs. But this judgement has completely thrown off my travel budget,” says Amir Emami, 25, data scientist.

“The bike taxis are not a nuisance when compared to other vehicles on the road. It’s unfair to say that only bike drivers don’t comply with traffic rules and regulations. Maybe some two-wheeler drivers flout the traffic norms, but the same is also true for four-wheelers. Plus these app-based bike rides are pocket friendly, especially for students like me since I often find it difficult to hail an auto or rickshaw from the nearest metro station when on my way to my college in North Campus,” says Anshita Singh, 18, DU student.

“Agar court ka order hai toh manna toh padega hi. If bike rides are actually getting banned in Delhi then I’ll shift my base to drive in the NCR and provide services in Ghaziabad, Noida, etc. Pehle bhi wahin chala rahe thay. But people who rode our bikes as pillion, would come up and request to be dropped at varied locations in the Capital. That’s how I started driving here even though I have my home in Noida... In the past three years, police has never bothered me, and I guess it’s because I always follow the traffic rules,” says Anil Dubey, 50, bike driver with Uber.

Author tweets @KritiKambiri

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