Karnataka HC Lifts Ban On Bike Taxi Services; Asks Owners, Aggregators To Apply For License

The Karnataka High Court on Friday lifted the ban on bike taxi services in the state, setting aside an earlier single-judge order upholding the state government’s prohibition order. The court has lifted the ban with immediate effect, allowing bike taxi owners to use their two-wheelers for commercial services.

A division bench headed by the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, Justice Vibhu Bakhru, and Justice CM Joshi heard the pleas of the drivers and aggregators, including Ola and Uber, stating that 'bikes can be used as transport vehicles, subject to legal permissions.'

The court has also directed the bike owners and aggregators to apply for licences and directed the state government to give proper permits to these bike taxi owners in accordance with the existing laws. 

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"Taxi owners are allowed to apply to register motorcycles as transport vehicles or contract carriages, and the state must consider these applications in accordance with the law. Aggregators are also free to submit fresh applications, which must be processed following the court’s observations," the Court order said.

When Were Bike Taxi Services Banned In Karnataka?

The Siddaramaiah government had imposed a complete ban on bike taxi services in June 2025. 

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Why Were Bike Taxi Services Banned In Karnataka?

Bike taxi services were temporarily banned in Karnataka from June 16, 2025, primarily due to the lack of a regulatory framework and legal authorisation under the Motor Vehicles Act, which prohibited using private, non-commercial (white plate) vehicles for commercial purposes. The ban, though supported by the High Court, had received intense backlash from the auto unions of the state.  

Additionally, many private motorcycles lacked dedicated passenger (pillion) insurance coverage and commercial vehicle fitness certificates. As a result, passengers faced significant legal and financial risks in case of any unfortunate accident. Several reports also pointed out that the bike taxis are one of the main reasons behind the worsening traffic jams in Bengaluru.