Commuters feel pinch as bike-taxi firms halt ops after K'taka HC order

Commuters across Karnataka are feeling the pinch following the state high court's June 13 directive to halt bike-taxi services, leaving thousands of daily users scrambling for affordable and quick transport alternatives.

- UDISHA SRIVASTAV, AJINKYA KAWALE & PEERZADA ABRAR

Following the directive, major ride-hailing platforms, including Ola, Uber, and Rapido, have suspended bike-taxi operations from June 16.

Shalini Kapat, a social media executive working at a private firm in Bengaluru, said bike taxis were efficient in navigating traffic and the time required for travelling was less. "Bike taxis cut down drastically on the time required to book and commute within Bengaluru. Booking is faster as compared to booking an auto or a cab as most drivers are within the user's vicinity. With the ban, our commute costs and travel time will shoot up again since public transport is not convenient. However, some bike taxis were very unsafe for a ride," Kapat said.