Centre backs bike taxis, but Karnataka keeps its ban stance

Bengaluru’s bike-taxi riders and commuters have no immediate clarity despite fresh support for the service from Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari.

Gadkari has suggested that states allow private, white-board two-wheelers to operate as bike taxis, saying this could create employment for around 8 crore people nationally. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ 2025 aggregator guidelines allow states to permit non-transport motorcycles to carry passengers through licensed aggregators.

Karnataka’s transport department, however, maintains that the Centre’s suggestion does not bind the state. Officials say permitting bike taxis is a state-level policy decision, and that operations cannot continue without government approval. The department has been acting against bike-taxi operations, citing their illegality and safety concerns; vehicles have been seized and operators have faced warnings of possible suspension of driving licences and registration certificates.

In January, a division bench of the Karnataka High Court lifted the ban and directed the department to consider applications from two-wheeler owners. The Karnataka government has challenged that order in the Supreme Court.

Rapido welcomed Gadkari’s remarks, calling for consistent adoption of the central framework to give riders and commuters greater regulatory clarity.