Crackdown on bike taxis after HC ban, 103 seized: Minister
The operation on Monday was carried out across multiple zones, with Rajajinagar RTO recording the highest number of seizures (16), followed by Electronics City (15) and KR Pura (13)
The authorities have seized 103 bike taxis across 11 RTO jurisdictions since the ban on the vehicles came into effect on Monday, officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
The operation on Monday was carried out across multiple zones, with Rajajinagar RTO recording the highest number of seizures (16), followed by Electronics City (15) and KR Pura (13). RTO officials used surveillance techniques and decoy operations to identify ongoing violations. “Field inspectors booked cases after confirming that taxi aggregators were providing bike taxi services in violation of HC orders. In some cases, officials posed as passengers to collect evidence,” said a senior transport department official.
Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy said the crackdown was in line with the High Court’s directive banning bike taxis. “The high court had given a six-week deadline to stop the operation of bike taxis. Now that period has expired. Therefore, our officials are taking action,” he said on Tuesday. He added that enforcement officials had received complaints of bike taxis continuing to operate under the guise of courier and parcel services.
RTO Additional Commissioner Mallikarjuna confirmed the enforcement action, stating, “The High Court has already issued an order that bike taxis are unauthorized. The period given to stop the operation of bike taxis has also expired. Therefore, we are taking action against unauthorized bike taxis by conducting an operation.”
The police department, meanwhile, gathered intelligence suggesting that certain services — previously listed as bike taxis in ride-hailing apps — had rebranded themselves as parcel delivery options and continued to transport passengers. Officials said apps like Rapido and Uber changed their in-app labels from “bike taxi” to “parcel,” continuing operations despite the ban. Some companies allegedly resumed ferrying passengers under the new category, leading to fresh complaints and surveillance.
“There are instances of aggregators replacing bike taxi services with parcel and courier options and using them as a proxy to ferry passengers. Officials booked cases after identifying such violations. This drive will continue,” said Reddy said.
Meanwhile, the authorities flagged that a significant number of riders offering services were students, many of whom were reportedly working without their families’ knowledge.
In response to the enforcement action, Rapido issued an in-app message to users: “Starting June 16, 2025, our bike-taxi services in Karnataka will be paused in compliance with recent HC orders... We’re navigating the way forward with the government to bring your favourite bike taxis back on the road soon.”
Uber also announced the suspension of its bike taxi operations in the state. The company said the decision would “negatively impact thousands of riders and drivers” but added that it would “continue engaging with the government to help shape a progressive policy framework.” Ola, another major aggregator, has yet to release an official statement.
On Monday, several companies submitted fresh representations to chief minister Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, urging legal approval for bike taxis.
The HC, which declined to stay the earlier government ban, has now scheduled the next hearing for June 24 and has invited objections. Until then, authorities have warned that strict action will continue against violators operating under misleading categories or flouting the court’s ruling.
