Double whammy: Bengaluru airport cab crunch deepens as BluSmart, Refex pull out

Bengaluru airport

Passengers using Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, already grappling with a shortage of Ola and Uber cabs, are now facing a double-whammy as two electric cab operators—BluSmart and Refex eVeelz—have ceased operations.

BluSmart, a ride-hailing startup linked to Gensol Engineering, has abruptly stopped accepting new ride bookings across major parts of Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. This move follows a probe by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) into Gensol Engineering, raising serious questions about BluSmart’s viability.

Also read: Gensol crisis: BluSmart suspends cab bookings via app in parts of NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru

Meanwhile, Refex Green Mobility Ltd (RGML), a subsidiary of Refex Industries, has confirmed that it is streamlining its operations in Bengaluru by phasing out its airport-based EV taxi services. These services were run via Refex EV Fleet Services. “The move aims to focus on scaling electric mobility solutions for enterprise and institutional clients through long-term partnerships and stable demand,” the company said.

Interestingly, both Refex and BluSmart have a linkage. Earlier this year, Refex Green Mobility had announced a Rs 315 crore deal to acquire 2,997 electric vehicles from Gensol Engineering, with plans to lease them to BluSmart. However, Refex later withdrew the proposal, citing “evolving commitments” on both sides.

Also read: Refex Green withdraws plan to takeover Gensol's 3,000 EVs, cites 'challenges' to conclude deal

Travellers hit

Kempegowda International Airport handled 41.88 million travellers in the last financial year, up from 37.53 million the previous year—an 11.6 percent increase. Despite this growth, the availability of airport cabs continues to be a challenge, with frequent complaints of long waits and inadequate fleets at the designated Ola-Uber pick-up zones.

Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which operates KIA, was unavailable to comment.

Also read: BluSmart takes on Uber, Ola, launches cab pickup zone at Bengaluru airport

Sources said the exit of both Refex and BluSmart is likely to compound the shortage. “BIAL tied up with Refex and commenced services in June 2024. They had also introduced pink taxis driven by women, exclusively for female passengers. BIAL had ended partnerships with earlier operators like Meru and Mega in favour of Refex. Now, with both Refex and BluSmart halting operations, it’s causing inconvenience to passengers,” a source said.

Another source added that airport taxis operated through BIAL’s official 'BLR Pulse' mobile application were mostly linked to Refex, which had a 100 percent electric fleet. "Many passengers who couldn't find cabs via Ola and Uber relied on BluSmart and Refex, and are now the most affected. These services were also environmentally friendly," the source added.

In March 2023, BluSmart Mobility launched a dedicated cab pickup zone at Bengaluru airport, following Ola and Uber. Other aggregators like Rapido, Namma Yatri, QuickRide and Shoffr do not have a dedicated pickup zone at the airport. However, dedicated airport taxi services such as Refex and KSTDC are allowed to pick up passengers directly in front of the terminals.

However, a BIAL official said that passengers can continue to book rides through Ola, Uber, Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), WTi rental cabs, as well as BMTC’s Vayu Vajra and KSRTC’s inter-city Flybus services.

In a statement, Refex said: “Refex continues to offer high-quality mobility services through its integrated B2B and B2B2C EV platform, featuring company-owned EVs, trained driver partners, and a tech-driven operations framework. Since its launch in March 2023 with 24 vehicles, Refex’s Green Mobility vertical has grown to nearly 1,300 EVs. We serve Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai across use cases such as employee transport, corporate rentals, airport transfers, and partnerships with leading ride-hailing platforms.”

Also read: Bengaluru airport launches electric taxis for passengers