Will Ola, Uber, Rapido suspend bike taxis in coming weeks? Here's what Karnataka High Court said
The Karnataka High Court has ordered the suspension of bike taxi services within six weeks, rejecting petitions from Ola, Uber, and Rapido seeking approval to operate two-wheelers as transport vehicles.
The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to suspend bike taxi operations within six weeks, rejecting petitions from Ola, Uber, and Rapido seeking approval to operate two-wheelers as transport vehicles.
Justice B.M. Shyam Prasad dismissed the companies' applications, which sought government consideration of their 2022 requests for converting two-wheelers into commercial transport vehicles. The court ruled that the state government does not have the authority to grant such permissions under current regulations.
The court observed that the ride-hailing firms had been operating bike taxis based on an interim order but must now cease operations after the period of six weeks. It also instructed the state government to ensure compliance with the order.
According to the court, bike taxis cannot operate unless the government issues guidelines under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and ensures compliance with the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules, which currently require two-wheelers to have white number plates.
The state government argued that bike taxis are illegal as they do not qualify as commercial vehicles. Accepting this stance, the court ruled that their operation is not permissible.
(With PTI inputs)