Karnataka bike taxis: Rapido rolls out ‘Bike Direct’, Uber and Ola halt services again

“Rapido Bike Direct is a lead generation service connecting Bike Taxi Captains directly with verified customers. This demand generation helps Captains earn a steady livelihood, while offering customers safe, reliable, and affordable travel every day. Rapido Bike Direct is provided completely free of cost in Karnataka, with no financial incentives or charges for Bike Taxi Captains,” Rapido said in a note to riders.

Also read: After two months, Rapido and Uber resume bike taxi services in Karnataka

The Karnataka High Court on August 22 said it had not passed any order allowing bike taxi aggregators to operate in the state and the state government was free to act, provided it does not harass bike owners.

The clarification came a day after Rapido and Uber resumed bike taxi services in Karnataka. The court had on August 20 pulled up the state government over its blanket ban on bike taxis, asking why the service could not be regulated.

Rapido was the first to resume bike taxi services after more than two months. Uber followed a day later. After the court's clarification, Uber suspended its bike services, while Ola, which had briefly restarted operations, hit pause too.

A delegation from the Karnataka Bike Taxi Welfare Association (BTA) met Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Delhi to raise concerns over the suspension of bike taxi services in Karnataka, which has left over six lakh riders without income.

“Gandhi assured the delegation that he has already spoken to the chief minister and transport minister and instructed the Congress leadership in Karnataka to urgently engage with the issue. He committed to ensuring that bike taxi riders’ livelihoods are protected through a timely and clear policy framework that allows bike taxis to operate seamlessly in the state,” the BTA said in a statement.

The riders told the Congress leader that were facing difficulties in paying school fees, rent, and EMIs for their vehicle loans. “Many have been forced to shift to irregular delivery jobs with lower and inconsistent earnings, leading to rising debt and emotional stress. Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were also present and expressed solidarity with the riders, assuring them of full support," it said.

The association also presented a proposal, drawing from best practices in 17 other states where bike taxis are regulated. It urged the state government  to adopt the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025 issued by union road transport and highways ministry, which provide a roadmap for safe and legal operations.

“Gandhi stressed that 'the livelihoods of lakhs of riders cannot be left in limbo; their right to work with dignity must be protected '," it said. He also spoke to Karnataka’s transport minister in the presence of BTA members, assuring them that steps would be taken to frame a bike-taxi policy at the earliest, the statement said.

Also read: Karnataka bike taxi ban: 'Give it a serious thought, there are lives at stake,' HC tells govt

While clarifying the order, a division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi, hearing appeals filed by Ola, Uber and Rapido, asked the state governmnet to draw up a policy at the earliest. “Give it a serious thought, there are lives at stake here. Every trade is permissible unless regulated. This (bike taxi) is not res extra commercium,” it said.

The state government informed the court that a decision on bike taxis would be taken at the highest level.

The bench said it would not interfere in policy matters but would examine whether the government’s move was arbitrary or mala fide. “We don’t have to be satisfied with the policy, only whether it is arbitrary,” the court said. The case will now be heard on September 22.

Also read: Karnataka High Court: No order permitting bike taxis, state free to act