Bengaluru, June 19: Karnataka transport authorities have seized 103 bike taxis across 11 jurisdictions since a High Court ban on such services came into effect on Monday, officials said, as enforcement intensified against aggregators operating in violation of the court’s directive.
The crackdown spanned multiple zones, with the highest number of seizures recorded in Rajajinagar (16), followed by Electronics City (15) and KR Pura (13), according to the transport department. Enforcement teams deployed surveillance and decoy tactics, including posing as passengers, to gather evidence against non-compliant operators.
“Field inspectors booked cases after confirming that aggregators were continuing bike taxi operations despite the High Court’s ban. Some disguised these services as parcel or courier deliveries,” a senior transport official told Reuters.
The High Court had earlier provided a six-week window to halt bike taxi services in the state. “That deadline has expired. Our officials are now acting in line with the court’s order,” Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Tuesday.
Officials also confirmed that ride-hailing apps such as Rapido and Uber had rebranded bike taxi services under new in-app categories like “parcel” or “courier,” allegedly continuing to transport passengers. “Such proxy operations have led to fresh complaints. This drive will continue,” Reddy added.
RTO Additional Commissioner Mallikarjuna said the state would take strict action against any unauthorized bike taxi service. “The High Court has already declared these services unauthorized, and the enforcement is being carried out accordingly,” he said.
In response, Rapido issued an in-app notification to users stating: “Starting June 16, 2025, our bike-taxi services in Karnataka will be paused in compliance with recent HC orders… We’re navigating the way forward with the government.” Uber also confirmed it had suspended bike taxi services, warning of a negative impact on thousands of riders and drivers. Ola has yet to issue an official statement.
The transport department has flagged that a significant number of operators were students, many working without their families’ knowledge. Authorities said they remain vigilant and warned of further action against services operating under misleading categories.
Several aggregators have submitted fresh appeals to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, requesting the legalisation of bike taxi operations in the state. The High Court, which refused to stay the existing ban, has scheduled its next hearing on the matter for June 24 and invited objections until then.
