Ban & Backlash

Strap (Page 1): Commuters stranded, gig workers shattered as bike taxi ban disrupts daily travel and livelihoods alike

Strap (Page 8&9): The bikes are gone, but the fight is on — Bangalore’s gig workers demand regulation, not rejection

Blurb:

Women, students, and the elderly were among the most frequent users. Some former riders — including women garment workers and persons with disabilities — had found financial agency through bike taxi platforms. The blanket ban, they say, has robbed them of that independence.

Byline: C Gupta

Following the Karnataka High Court’s refusal to stay a state government order banning bike taxis, thousands of gig workers — mostly youth, daily-wage earners, and students — have been plunged into financial chaos. Overnight, the livelihoods of over one lakh riders across Karnataka have been put on the line, with no relief or roadmap in sight.

“We are not criminals. We are just trying to earn a living,” says Girijesh HM, a former Ola bike taxi driver. “Why are we banned in Karnataka while bike taxis operate legally in other states?”

It’s a sentiment echoed across the city, where the once-ubiquitous hum of two-wheelers zipping through traffic now carries the weight of uncertainty. From repaying education loans to managing family medical bills, for many riders, bike taxi earnings were not pocket money — they were survival.

Sleepless Nights for a City’s Backbone

The Namma Bike Taxi Association has made urgent pleas to Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, calling the move a blow to dignity and basic rights. “Over 1,00,000 gig workers in Bengaluru and across Karnataka are losing their right to earn and feed their families because of a blanket ban,” their letter read.

The ban’s fallout is both personal and political. Kumaraswamy, a leader from the Bike Taxi Welfare Association, paints a grim picture: “Many riders work 10 to 12 hours a day, regardless of the weather. For them, this is not a gig — it’s life. Some have siblings’ weddings coming up, others have hospital bills mounting. This isn’t just about jobs. It’s about existence.”

The Association says nearly 8 crore trips were being made annually by bike taxis — highlighting the sheer scale of reliance both riders and commuters had on the system.

Government’s Hard Stop

While gig workers reel, the state remains firm. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has ruled out any revival of the 2021 electric bike taxi policy, citing misuse. Rapido’s bid to relaunch services under the guise of “bike parcel delivery” was swiftly called out as a violation. The government says it’s about protecting 1.75 lakh legal auto-rickshaw drivers and curbing the misuse of private vehicles.

But critics argue the move is shortsighted. Bangalore Central MP PC Mohan tweeted that “policy decisions should be evidence-based,” adding that bike taxis could still be part of the city’s urban mobility puzzle — if properly regulated. That’s the crux of what gig workers are asking for: regulation, not criminalisation.

Riders Offer Solutions, Not Defiance

The Bike Taxi Welfare Association has submitted proposals ensuring tighter safety and compliance norms. ISI-marked helmets for both rider and pillion. Only licensed and experienced riders. Accident insurance up to ₹5 lakh. The works. “We’re open to rules. But give us a framework. Don’t snatch away our only way to earn,” says Kumaraswamy.

The ban’s effect isn’t limited to the drivers alone. Commuters, particularly in far-flung areas with poor public transport, are suddenly without a crucial last-mile option. For them, bike taxis weren’t a luxury but a lifeline — affordable, fast, and nimble in traffic-choked Bangalore.

Women, students, and the elderly were among the most frequent users. Some former riders — including women garment workers and persons with disabilities — had found financial agency through bike taxi platforms. The blanket ban, they say, has robbed them of that independence.

A City in Gridlock, A Sector in Limbo

On June 18, over 2,000 riders had planned a protest at Freedom Park. It was denied permission. But the resistance is gaining momentum. Seventy members of the Namma Bike Taxi Association recently met Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, urging him to advocate for a regulated, not restricted, model. In digital space, city commuters are flooding social media with #WeNeedBikeTaxi, urging the government to roll back the decision.

With no policy in place and no alternatives offered, Karnataka now stands alone — a state where one of the fastest-growing urban transport solutions has been shut down, not shaped. As the rains arrive and traffic snarls grow, the question looms: In the name of order, has the government driven over the very people it claims to protect?