SUMMARY
Justice Hemant Chandangoudar asked the state government to take appropriate action against persons that obstruct the operations of bike taxis in Bengaluru
The order came in response to a clutch of petitions filed by the Bike Taxi Welfare Association over reported clashes between auto drivers and bike taxi operators in the city last year
Last month, the state government heeded the demands and withdrew its electric bike taxi scheme, bringing down the curtains on bike taxi services in Bengaluru
The Karnataka High Court (HC) has directed the state government to protect the operations of bike taxi services in Bengaluru.
As per a court order dated March 28 and seen by The Economic Times, Justice Hemant Chandangoudar asked the state government to take appropriate action against persons that obstruct the operations of bike taxis in the city.
The order came in response to a clutch of petitions filed by the Bike Taxi Welfare Association over reported clashes between auto drivers and bike taxi operators in the city last year.
As per the report, the Association termed the directions a “significant legal victory” against “harassment, physical violence, vehicle damage, and obstruction faced by bike taxi riders from certain auto unions and their members in Bengaluru”.
“This decision reaffirms the importance of upholding the rights of bike taxi operators and fostering a supportive environment for their services. The Bike Taxi Association extends its gratitude to the judiciary for its intervention and reaffirms its commitment to advocating for the welfare of its members,” the Association reportedly added.
The directions came close on the heels of protests by autorickshaw unions in the city in March, calling for a ban on bike taxis. In some instances, auto drivers protested and blocked bike taxis and allegedly even assaulted the riders.
Last month, the state government heeded their demands and withdrew its electric bike taxi scheme, bringing down the curtains on the services in Bengaluru.
Apart from this, there is no clear cut policy for bike taxis, and the local authorities regularly impose penalties on drivers and confiscate bikes, citing absence of clear rules for the space. Karnataka’s 2021 ebike taxi policy was envisaged to effectively end the standoff between bike taxi operators, such as Rapido and Bounce, and the state, allowing the former to operate.
The new norms came as the state and the bike taxi aggregators sparred in courts over operating such services in the capital city. Such was the clamour that even the Karnataka High Court ordered the government to clarify its stand on the operations of bike taxis after companies filed a case in this regard.
Meanwhile, Rapido is protected by a 2021 Karnataka High Court ruling that instructed transport authorities not to take punitive measures against the startup’s bike taxi service. Essentially, this allows the startup to continue operating even with non-electric bikes.
