Karnataka High Court Upholds Ban on Bike Taxi Services Amid Appeals

Court Decision on Bike Taxi Operations

On Friday, the Karnataka High Court declined to suspend a previous ruling that halted bike taxi operations across the state. This decision was reported by various news outlets.

The division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar, has requested feedback from state officials regarding appeals made by ride-hailing companies Ola and Uber against the imposed ban.

Earlier, on April 2, a single-judge bench mandated that all bike taxi services cease operations in Karnataka within a six-week timeframe. This ruling was based on a 2019 expert committee report that evaluated the implications of bike taxis on traffic and safety.

The court emphasized that without the state government establishing regulations and guidelines to authorize bike taxis, their operation would remain prohibited in Karnataka.

The deadline for halting bike taxi services was set for May. However, following a plea from the cab aggregators, the High Court permitted Ola and Uber to continue their services until June 15.

On Friday, the court dismissed the aggregators' plea for continued interim relief, stating that it would have considered the request if the state government was actively working on regulations. Since the government opted against allowing bike taxis, the court could not grant the request.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 24, with the state government expected to submit its response by June 20.