Bengaluru Bike Taxi Ban Persists as New Federal Rules Await Adoption

Karnataka’s High Court on 16 June prohibited the use of private two-wheelers as bike taxis, compelling platforms such as Rapido, Uber and Ola to suspend passenger services in Bengaluru. Although some riders now operate covertly—or list rides as “parcel” deliveries—the order has removed one of the city’s cheapest and fastest transport options. Commuters say the gap is widening. A typical 16-kilometre trip from Koramangala to Whitefield that once cost under Rs 150 and took about 40 minutes must now be negotiated with autorickshaws or cabs, often at nearly double the price. Ride-hailing apps have added surcharges, while drivers on the street increasingly refuse metered fares. The disruption comes just as the federal government, on 1 July, published Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2025 that allow states to legalise and regulate non-transport two-wheelers for ride-sharing, citing benefits such as lower emissions and job creation. Karnataka has yet to indicate whether it will adopt the rules, leaving thousands of gig-economy riders and daily passengers in limbo. Urban planners warn the ban is aggravating congestion in India’s tech hub, a city with roughly 10 million registered vehicles and peak speeds that can dip below 10 km per hour. Until the state clarifies its stance, commuters and drivers remain caught between rising travel costs and regulatory uncertainty.