Karnataka High Court allows bike taxis to operate till June 15

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday extended till June 15 the earlier deadline within which bike taxi operators, including Rapido bike taxis, are expected to wrap up their operations pursuant to orders issued by the Court on April 2. .By an April 2 order, Justice B Shyam Prasad had ordered all bike taxi services to be halted in Karnataka within six weeks. At the time, the Court had explained that unless the State decides to make a policy change and frames rules and guidelines to permit bike taxis, such vehicles cannot be operated. The six-week deadline within which bike operations were to be halted in Karnataka was set to expire in May.However, affected bike taxi operators including Rapido's owner, Roppen Transportation Services, as well as OLA and Uber (which had been proposing to enter the bike taxi market), today urged the Court to extend this deadline..In an application filed yesterday, Roppen informed that it has since sent representations on this subject to various State authorities. Further, the State also met Roppen to discuss the issue. During these meetings, the State was requested to come out with a policy or with guidelines to govern the operation of bike taxis.As such, the State government is currently exploring the possibility of framing a comprehensive policy for bike taxis in the State, Roppen submitted."This policy has the potential to enhance last-mile connectivity, reduce traffic congestion and support sustainable urban mobility. The government's proactive approach in this regard could position Karnataka as a leader in modernising transportation systems," the application added. .Roppen also pointed out that the April 2 verdict will adversely affect the livelihood of around six lakh bike taxi drivers registered with it. In view of these factors, the Court was urged to give a six-week extension of its earlier deadline. "On a complete reading of the circumstances and the grounds urged and ensuing four weeks break, this Court is inclined to extend the timeline by another six [6] weeks until 15.06.2025 so that there is no precipitation and there is a reasonable opportunity to all," the Court ordered today. .The State government was represented by Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty. .OLA (ANI Technologies) was represented by Senior Advocate Arun Kumar. Uber was represented by Senior Advocate Srinivas Raghavan. Rapido was represented by Advocate Nishant AV..[Read Order]