A week after bike taxi ban, Bengaluru sees spike in traffic jams, costlier auto rides & angry gig workers

Karnataka’s bike taxi ban came into effect on June 16. Since then, many officegoers who relied on bike taxis have perforce switched to personal vehicles such as two-wheelers and cars, even as auto rickshaw drivers hiked fares amid rising demand.

A senior traffic police officer told Moneycontrol, “There has been a rise in traffic congestion across the city since June 16. But we are yet to identify whether it’s linked to the bike taxi ban. We have also launched a crackdown on errant auto rickshaws.”

A user on X, Ashwatthama (@Ashwatthama), wrote: "Hopeless jam continues in ORR. Last week it was bad, with the stretch from Silk Board to Marathahalli taking 2 hours. Today it's worse. Took 2.5 hours."

Also read: Karnataka bike taxi ban: Why innovation, government policies collide at India’s start-up hub

For many users - especially officegoers and students- bike taxis were a lifesaver. They sliced through Bengaluru’s notorious traffic and were far cheaper than cabs or autos. Moneycontrol had earlier reported that several Rapido and Uber riders, despite the ban, are accepting bookings to deliver parcels but are ferrying passengers instead.

“I used to take a bike taxi regularly as it cost just Rs 50–70 from Byappanahalli Metro station to my home. Now auto rickshaw drivers are demanding Rs 250–300. So I’ve started using my own vehicle. After the metro fare hike and this ban, public transport just doesn’t make sense anymore,” said Shahana Syed, a resident of Ramamurthy Nagar.

Court order flouted

As the Karnataka High Court's October 2022 order, app-based auto aggregators are allowed to charge only 10 percent above the government-notified fare, plus 5 percent goods and services tax. In November 2021, the state had fixed the minimum auto fare at Rs 30 for the first 2 km, which makes the app-auto base fare Rs 35.

However, Moneycontrol found that aggregators are charging up to Rs 50 for minimum fare and passengers also often need to add a 'tip' before the ride is accepted. "It’s a demand and supply issue. After the bike taxi ban, demand for auto rickshaws has gone up-so have the fares," said a source in one of the aggregators.

Also read: Karnataka bike taxi ban kicks in; Rapido says it’s pausing operations

Ministers react

When asked whether the bike taxi ban dents the image of India’s startup capital, Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge told Moneycontrol, "I will speak to the transport minister and figure it out."

However, the transport department remains firm in its stance, unwilling to frame any rules to regulate or legalise bike taxis.

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy told Moneycontrol: "We have enforced the high court ban. Whiteboard two-wheelers are meant for personal use, not for commercial purposes."

When asked why other states allow bike taxis, Reddy said: "Bengaluru has better bus connectivity than other cities. BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) runs 7,000 buses and carries around 40 lakh passengers daily. We also have around 3 lakh autos and 2 lakh taxis."

He urged the public to report overcharging autos and added: "Two-wheelers are an unsafe mode of transport. If something goes wrong, the government will be held responsible. We are expanding our bus fleet. Bike taxis were operating illegally for over eight years. They shouldn’t be allowed."

Labour Minister Santosh Lad, however, clarified: "The decision to ban bike taxis was taken by the transport department. The labour department is not involved."

Gig workers hit hard

When bike taxis on the Uber and Rapido platforms were operational in Bengaluru, they offered a path to financial independence for many women riders. Lakshmi, who started riding with Rapido last year, said, “I used to make at least Rs 300 a day, sometimes Rs 500 on good days. It gave me the freedom to manage my time and my family.”

Ride-hailing major Uber in December 2024 launched "Moto Women", a women-only bike taxi service in Bengaluru, aiming to enhance safety and convenience for female riders while creating flexible earning opportunities for female drivers. The move comes as bike taxis continue to grow as a popular urban transport option in India. Rapido had also been piloting women-only bike taxis in Bengaluru since February. this year.

Also read: No bike taxis in Karnataka from June 16 as High Court refuses to stay single judge order

The recent ban on bike taxis by the Karnataka government has abruptly cut off this source of income, leaving many women scrambling for alternatives.

“Now I am back to working in houses as a maid. I have to clean three or four homes just to earn what I made in a few hours on the bike,” Lakshmi rued.

Some women had even purchased bikes on loan to take up this work.  “The company didn’t provide the bike, we took loans and now all of that is wasted,” said Rekha, another former rider.

The irony of lakhs of gig workers being left in the lurch is stark since Karnataka. had recently introduced the Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Ordinance, 2025.

Ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had interacted with gig workers in Bengaluru, even riding pillion on a delivery worker’s two-wheeler.  Now, the Namma Bike Taxi Association has written to both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Gandhi, urging them to intervene and reverse the decision. In the letter, Mohammad Salim, president of the association, said: "The government’s decision to ban bike taxis without offering an alternative regulatory framework deprives lakhs of drivers - many of them daily wage earners, students and informal workers-of their primary source of income."

Also, read: Rs 500 per day for commute: Bengaluru employees slam bike taxi ban, express outrage on X

“We haven’t received any response from the CM or Congress leadership. We are even being denied permission to protest peacefully at Freedom Park due to pressure from auto unions. Over 6 lakh bike taxi riders across Karnataka have lost their jobs due to the ban,” Salim added.

Another section of bike taxi riders staged a protest near Vidhana Soudha on June 21 against the ban. However, police later detained them for staging a protest without prior permission.

Also read: Karnataka: Bike taxi association writes to Siddaramaiah, Rahul Gandhi; seeks rollback of ban