Bengaluru residents slam bike taxi ban, express frustration over high commute costs

Bengaluru commuters are expressing frustration and anger following the enforcement of Karnataka’s bike taxi ban, which officially came into effect on June 16 after the state High Court upheld the government's decision.

The ban has left thousands without a cost-effective commuting option in a city already notorious for its traffic congestion.

The move has triggered a wave of backlash on social media, where users are highlighting how their daily travel costs have sharply risen. Many claim that the lack of competition has allowed auto-rickshaw drivers to raise fares unchecked.

"At Rs 700/day for 2 way commute by Auto, that's almost India's per capita income... Wasn't the zero commission model supposed to reduce prices? How did we end up with surged prices?" one user posted online.

Another wrote, "Bengaluru traffic worsens after bike taxi ban, auto fares are rising since they don't have a competitor now, charging whatever pops onto their minds."

A third comment read, "Not even 8am, and #Bengaluru is choked already. Thanks to the #biketaxi ban, had to take an auto. Give me walkable shortest paths to the bus stops, and bike lanes, please. This is no way to create cities."

Amid the outrage, users have observed that Rapido, one of the major bike taxi platforms, has seemingly found a workaround. Instead of offering rides, the app now features a "bike parcel" service. Some commuters are reportedly booking themselves as parcels to continue using two-wheeler transport.

"The bike taxi ban starts today in Karnataka... but the Product Owner at Rapido Bike app has already bypassed the law... can't book a ride? No worries – just parcel yourself to work... Call it: 'PaaS – Passenger as a Service'," joked one user, Dhanvi, while sharing a screenshot from the app.

The Karnataka High Court, in its ruling, noted it would have considered pausing the ban if the state had shown willingness to create regulatory guidelines. However, with the government firm on not drafting such rules, the court denied relief to the aggregators.

The case is set to continue, with the next hearing scheduled for June 24.