The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday ordered the app-based ride–hailing services to shut down bike taxi services. However, they have been given six weeks time, so that they can stop their operations completely. Platform officials say they are considering appealing against this decision.
While delivering the verdict, Justice BM Shyam Prasad said- Bike taxis cannot be operated until the state government makes rules under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The order came on the petitions of Rapido, Uber India and Ola, demanding the government to issue aggregator licenses and register bike taxis as transport services.
In July 2021, the Karnataka government issued an order to ban bike taxi services. Rapido, Uber and Ola filed a petition in the High Court against it. During the hearing, the High Court temporarily prevented the government from taking action on these platforms.
Found six weeks to stop operations
Justice Shyam Prasad on Wednesday ordered the platforms to stop their operation within six weeks. Apart from this, he directed the state government that after this time, all bike taxi services should be completely discontinued. At the same time, welcoming the decision of the Karnataka High Court, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the government has been given three months time to make appropriate rules. He said that the app-based platforms were working without any rules, due to which concerns were increasing about the safety of people using these services. He said that he would react after studying the decision.
Will appeal against High Court order
At the same time, a senior official of a ride-lueling company said- We will appeal against this order. The central government has already made it clear that motorcycles fall in the definition of contract carriage, which is valid under the Motor Vehicles Act. However, the central government allows bike taxi, but transport is the subject of the state, so the state government has the right to decide its legal status.