Bike taxi ban deepens Bengaluru’s last-mile woes, says Rapido

The ban, which was imposed on June 16, has left many commuters stranded, especially for short-distance travel.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAYA BHASKAR CH

Banning bike taxis is counterproductive to Bengaluru’s already worsening urban mobility crisis argued ride-hailing platform Rapido. Senior Advocate Uday Holla representing Rapido cited the lack of last-mile connectivity and growing traffic congestion in the city.

Appearing for Rapido, Senior Advocate Uday Holla contended that the ban ignores the city’s dire lack of last-mile connectivity and escalating traffic congestion, both of which make bike taxis a critical necessity. “There are only two metro lines in Bengaluru; there is no last-mile connectivity,” Holla told the bench.“This does not cater to the spread of Bengaluru, and hence there is a need for bike taxi.”

He criticised the State Government’s reliance on a report submitted by a former Metro chairman to justify the ban, arguing that a Division Bench had earlier observed that bike taxi guidelines were introduced to promote urban mobility, not restrict it.

Regulatory approach

Holla also questioned the motivations behind the ban, alleging that vested interests, particularly the auto-rickshaw unions, were influencing the regulatory approach. He contended that the state’s rules appear to target aggregators, while individual bike riders remain unaffected,

He argued that aggregators like Rapido simply act as facilitators between the commuter and the driver, similar to other ride-hailing platforms. Holla emphasised that bike riders themselves cannot be denied registration, and that the state’s regulatory power is limited to framing guidelines for aggregators, not implementing a full ban

Drawing comparisons with other States, he said Karnataka is falling behind. Tamil Nadu, which initially banned bike taxis, has now allowed them, and Kerala too has established operating frameworks. “If other Southern States have framed rules, why not Karnataka?” he submitted.

The ban, which was imposed on June 16, has left many commuters stranded, especially for short-distance travel. Users have reported a surge in fares for auto-rickshaws and cabs, with limited affordable alternatives in the absence of bike taxis.

Published on July 2, 2025