TL;DR
Karnataka High Court has ruled that motorcycles can operate as bike taxis and has instructed the state government to issue permits to aggregators and individual owners.
In a significant ruling, the Karnataka High Court has affirmed that motorcycles can be utilized as transport vehicles for ferrying passengers, thereby clearing the path for bike taxi services in the state. The Division Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi set aside a previous single-judge order that had prohibited bike taxis unless specific guidelines were notified by the state government under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The court has directed the Karnataka government to consider applications from both individual motorcycle owners and bike-taxi aggregators, such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido, seeking permits to operate as contract carriages with yellow-colored number plates. This decision is a major victory for ride-hailing platforms and commuters, who have long sought legal clarity and official recognition for bike taxi services.
The ruling is expected to boost last-mile connectivity and provide employment opportunities within the gig economy, while also potentially impacting urban mobility solutions in Karnataka. The state government will now need to formulate and implement the necessary guidelines to facilitate the smooth operation of these services.
