Karnataka High Court lifts bike taxi ban, clears return of Ola, Uber and Rapido

The Karnataka High Court on Friday lifted the ban on bike taxi services in the state, clearing the way for platforms such as Ola, Uber and Rapido to resume operations.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi allowed appeals filed by cab aggregators ANI Technologies, which operates Ola, along with Uber and Rapido, challenging a single-judge directive that had halted bike taxi services in Karnataka until the state framed rules governing such operations.

The Division Bench set aside the April 2025 order of a single judge that had imposed the ban. The court stated that bike taxi operators are free to apply for registration of two-wheelers as transport vehicles or taxis.

As per a report by Bar and Bench, the court informed that while the state government is at liberty to examine all relevant aspects while considering such applications, registration cannot be refused solely on the ground that the vehicle is a motorcycle. The bench stated that the concerned transport authorities may impose conditions as deemed necessary in accordance with law, including provisions under Section 74(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act.

The court also informed that aggregators are free to file fresh applications and that such applications must be considered in accordance with law and the observations of the court.

The ban stemmed from an order passed on April 2, 2025, by single-judge Justice B Shyam Prasad, who had directed that all bike taxi services in Karnataka be halted within six weeks. At the time, the court had stated that unless the state undertook a policy change and framed specific rules and guidelines permitting bike taxis, such services could not continue.

The six-week deadline was subsequently extended following requests from affected bike taxi operators, who also filed appeals against the April order before a Division Bench. Individual bike taxi drivers and the Bike Taxi Welfare Association also joined the appeals, which were allowed by the court on Friday.

During the course of hearings, the Division Bench repeatedly questioned the state government on delays in implementing effective regulations for bike taxi operations in Karnataka and indicated that it was inclined to lift the ban if rules were not put in place within a reasonable timeframe.