E-bike taxi rules: Travel limited to 15 km per ride, physical separator mandatory on seat

The drivers are supposed to work on the service for eight hours a day maximum and will need to attend training offered by the service operators. No children under the age of 12 are permitted as pillion riders and only one passenger per bike is allowed. Every bike should have a physical separator between the rider and passenger, and a rain cover for safety during monsoon.

Operators need to have a minimum of 50 e-bikes to be eligible for a state-wide permit, which will be valid for five years. The two-wheelers should have valid vehicle registrations, insurance, and fitness certificates. These services will be run on apps or websites that are compliant with government-regulated safety standards.

To aid the electric bike taxi industry, the policy makes it a requirement for operators to design proper dedicated bike taxi stands and charging infrastructure. As per the policy, sufficient parking for their fleets must also be available for operators.

The government has also prioritised women’s safety and participation as core objectives of the initiative. Aggregators will have to incrementally raise the number of women drivers in their fleet to 50%. The policy also provides an option for women passengers to select women riders, thereby improving safety and comfort.

The state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced that the government will give a subsidy of Rs 10,000 to children of registered auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers so that they can obtain e-bike taxi permits.