Karnataka HC Hints at Lifting Bike Taxi Ban if Rules Are Not Notified

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday questioned whether the recently passed Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 applies to bike taxi operations. The Court observed that if the State does not frame clear rules, it is inclined to grant a stay on the existing ban on bike taxi services.

A Bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi was informed by Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty that the new law, which received the Governor’s assent on September 11 and was notified on September 12, aims to safeguard gig workers across platforms like Uber, Ola, Zepto and others. He stated that the Act extends to workers linked with ride-sharing aggregators too.

Despite this, the Bench sought clarity on whether bike taxi drivers are specifically covered. The Chief Justice remarked, “One month we gave for the government to bring a policy for riders, and nothing was done. You came up with it for gig workers, but what about bike taxis?”

Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, representing bike taxi owners, urged the Court to stay the ban, stressing that riders face severe hardships as they cannot operate like auto drivers who at least have designated stands.

The appeals before the Court have been filed by major aggregators such as ANI Technologies (Ola), Uber, Rapido, and the Bike Taxi Welfare Association, challenging a single-judge order that prohibited bike taxi services until the State frames proper regulations.

While the Advocate General argued that many aggregators continue to operate bike taxis in violation of the earlier ban, the Bench asked the State not to take harsh steps against individual riders who depend on the service for their livelihood.

The matter has been adjourned for further hearing on October 15.

Case Title: ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd. v. State of Karnataka & connected matters