No More Bike Taxis In Karnataka, HC Orders Rapido And Other Aggregators To Take Vehicles Off Roads In 6 Weeks
The Karnataka High Court has ordered bike taxi operators, including Rapido, to cease operations within six weeks. This would impact last-mile connectivity for thousands of commuters in the state.
The Karnataka High Court has directed bike taxi aggregators, including Rapido, to shut down their operations across the state within six weeks. The verdict, delivered on Wednesday by Justice B Shyam Prasad, marks a major setback for companies operating in the sector.
The court’s decision comes after rejecting petitions filed by Rapido’s parent company, Ropeen Transportation Services Private Limited, alongside major ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Ola (ANI Technologies), reported legal news website Bar and Bench. The petitioners had sought official recognition for bike taxis, urging authorities to permit the registration of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) two-wheelers as transport vehicles.
Additionally, the companies had appealed for a clear regulatory framework to govern bike taxi services, arguing that their operations should be legally protected. Rapido, which had already been offering bike taxi services in Karnataka, had further requested the court to prevent authorities from disrupting its business.
Temporary Relief For Firms Ends
This legal battle traces back to April 2022, when a different bench, led by Justice Jyoti Milimani, granted interim relief to the petitioners. That ruling temporarily restrained the authorities from taking coercive action, allowing Rapido and others to continue operations. However, the reprieve has now come to an end.
Justice Prasad, who first took up the matter in 2023, ruled that the court could not compel the state to formulate new regulations as demanded by the petitioners. Moreover, he clarified that the state cannot be forced to register non-transport vehicles as transport vehicles.
Why Bike Taxis Have Been Banned In Karnataka?
Bike taxis often provide a cheaper and quicker means of transport. In 2024, the Centre clarified that bike taxis could be recognised under the Motor Vehicles Act as vehicles having fewer than four wheels and fitted with an engine capacity exceeding 25 CC are included under section 2(28). "Hence, 'motorcycles' shall fall within the ambit of Section 2(7) of the Act," the Centre said.
However, the Karnataka government argued in court that bikes with white licence plates flout regulations. It also said that bike taxis lack safety measures.
Rapido and other bike taxi aggregators are also facing legal battles in Maharashtra, Delhi, and Assam due to the lack of commercial licences or permits. However, the Maharashtra cabinet on April 1 approved the plying of bike taxis with specific conditions.
What Rapido Said
As per Money Control, Rapido issued a statement, airing its concerns over the bike taxi partners on its platform. "The High Court of Karnataka has directed aggregators to cease bike taxi operations after six weeks and has accordingly instructed the state transport department not to take any adverse action during this period. Karnataka-born Rapido is concerned about the welfare of the lakhs of bike taxi captains onboarded on the platform and will evaluate and pursue appropriate legal remedies once the detailed order is made available," a Rapido spokesperson was quoted as saying.
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