Bengaluru: Bike taxi services in Karnataka will officially shut down from Monday, June 16, following a firm ruling by the Karnataka High Court. The Division Bench rejected pleas from Ola, Uber, and Rapido to stay a previous ban, effectively pulling the brakes on app-based two-wheeler taxi operations in the state.
The Single Bench had earlier ruled that bike taxis must cease operations unless the state formulates specific regulatory guidelines. While companies argued that over 600,000 drivers would lose their livelihoods, the court remained unmoved. A Division Bench led by Acting Chief Justice Kameshwara Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar refused to grant any interim relief.
The High Court has now issued notices to the state government and other stakeholders, with the next hearing scheduled for June 24.
Bike taxis were first banned in Karnataka in 2019, citing resistance from the Transport Department and traditional taxi unions. Though the services resumed in 2022 under a temporary court order, that reprieve is now officially over.
The ruling marks a significant pause in India’s gig economy landscape, potentially affecting thousands of gig workers and reshaping the future of urban mobility in the state.
