Karnataka withdraws e-bike taxi scheme, says it is ‘illegal and unsafe for women’

The order cites that the implementation of the scheme was not “complementary” to the mobility structure as stated in the report of the committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) managing director.

The move comes after the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association, which represents several auto rickshaw, cab and bus operators, convened a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy to explain how e-bike taxis were hurting the livelihood of lakhs of auto drivers.

Further, Reddy is also believed to have held marathon meetings with the federation members on the “illegal operation” of e-bike taxis and the lack of regulations and safety compliances for the e-bike taxis to operate. Scrapping of the e-bike taxi scheme and declaring the operations of two-wheeler taxis by Rapido illegal has been a long-standing demand of auto drivers.

Nataraj Sharma, president of the federation, told The Indian Express: “Firstly, a city like Bengaluru which has lakhs of auto drivers and good public transport does not require e-bike taxis. More importantly, given the cheaper rates at which it operates, the model has impacted the livelihoods of nearly 10 lakh auto rickshaw drivers directly and their families indirectly.”

He alleged, “The e-bike taxis are operated illegally without the commercial licence and without complying with regulatory measures that the auto drivers are subjected to. The riders’ identities are not disclosed and some of the riders are also underage. Moreover, women’s safety is a major concern and we have seen multiple cases of sexual harassment being reported. The lack of accountability in such cases poses a major threat to the safety and security of women. Considering all these factors we appealed to the government to withdraw the notification.”

On December 16, 2022, the Karnataka transport department had issued a licence to Wicked Ride, the parent company of Bounce, to operate e-bike taxi services in the state. The state government also fixed the fare at Rs 25 for 5 km and Rs 50 for 10 km. The e-bike taxi service was permitted to operate under the Karnataka Electric Bike Taxi Scheme, 2021 which was passed by the state government to enhance first and last-mile connectivity, promote environment-friendly transport solutions and ease urban mobility.

Although Bounce was issued the licence, the company’s e-bike taxi services did not take off. The only player in the market was Ola.