• Source:JND
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Bengaluru News: Bengaluru’s popular bike taxi services faced another setback on Monday after aggregator platforms Ola and Uber removed the option from their apps. The move followed a clarification from the Karnataka High Court that it had not granted any order permitting the resumption of such services.

According to a Times of India report, the court, while hearing pleas filed by Uber, Ola and Rapido, reiterated that the state government retains full powers to regulate or act against bike taxis under existing laws. Soon after, Uber and Ola suspended their services. Rapido, however, continues to operate under the name “Bike Direct,” though its legal position remains unclear.

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For many commuters, bike taxis had become an affordable and time-saving travel option, especially in Bengaluru’s heavy traffic. Their absence is expected to hit daily wage workers, students and office-goers the hardest, as it removes one of the city’s cheapest and fastest last-mile connectivity choices.

The legal battle over bike taxis in Karnataka began earlier this year when the High Court declared the services illegal due to the absence of a policy framework under the Motor Vehicles Act. In June, the court declined to stay its order, forcing operators to withdraw. However, after observing on August 20 that “lives are at stake” and asking the state government to clarify its policy, some platforms briefly resumed operations, citing strong commuter demand. That short-lived revival has now ended.

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Drivers, meanwhile, say they are bearing the brunt of the regulatory flip-flops. The Bike Taxi Welfare Association of Karnataka, which claims to represent over 12,000 riders in Bengaluru and nearly six lakh across the state, has called the suspension a “livelihood crisis.” Earlier this month, members of the group met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi to seek support, saying most bike taxi drivers are young workers who depend entirely on the service for their income.