Karnataka HC refuses to stay bike taxi ban

In a significant setback to bike taxi operators in Karnataka, the High Court on Friday declined to stay a single-judge order directing a complete halt to bike taxi services across the State.

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The division bench reasoned that the government's stated policy decision not to permit such operations left no room for judicial interference at this stage.

A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar took up the appeals filed by ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd (operating Ola) and Uber, challenging an April 2 order by Justice B Shyam Prasad that had directed all bike taxi operations to be shut down within six weeks.

While the deadline was extended till June 15 to allow operators to wind down services, the Division Bench on Friday refused to grant any interim relief, stating that it would hear the matter on merits on June 24.