Karnataka Panel Recommends Sustaining Bike-Taxi Ban Citing Safety and Legal Concerns

An expert committee appointed by the Karnataka Government has recommended maintaining the ban on bike-taxi services across the state, reaffirming concerns about their legality and safety under current regulations. The 11-member panel, led by Transport Secretary N V Prasad, emphasized that bike taxis operate outside the Motor Vehicles Act framework, lacking commercial registration, permits, insurance, and aggregator licenses required for legally ferrying passengers on two-wheelers.

The committee’s report pointed out that allowing bike taxis would worsen Bengaluru’s already congested roads, which currently accommodate around 12 million vehicles, including approximately 10.6 million private two-wheelers and cars. Rather than easing traffic, bike taxis would add to congestion and complicate enforcement of traffic laws. The report also highlighted that a significant portion of bike-taxi riders are college students, whose academic performance and long-term prospects might be adversely affected by participation in this sector.

While the committee advocates for stricter enforcement against illegal bike taxis, it has expressed support for app-based delivery services operating on private two-wheelers, recognizing these as legally permissible under the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Act, 2025, which safeguards gig workers’ welfare. The panel recommends that bike-taxi riders be lawfully absorbed into such gig-economy roles to mitigate the impact of the ban on livelihoods.

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This report was submitted to the Karnataka High Court, which is currently hearing petitions by companies like Rapido, Uber, and Ola challenging the ban. The state government reaffirmed its position that motorcycles cannot be treated as passenger vehicles, and the court is set to review the matter further in a hearing scheduled for November 24.

The panel’s recommendations also call for increased investment in public transportation, including electric buses and extended metro networks, to improve last-mile connectivity as a sustainable alternative to fragmented bike-taxi services. This decision reflects ongoing efforts by Karnataka authorities to balance commuter needs with safety, legal compliance, and urban mobility challenges.

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