Bike taxi drivers plead with Karnataka transport minister to protect their livelihoods

From 14 May, the operation of two-wheeler taxis will halt in Bengaluru after the state transport minister Ramalinga Reddy directed the department to enforce the Karnataka High Court government order banning bike taxis.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BENGALURU, 29 APRIL

The Karnataka High Court had on 2 April asked the government to stop the plying of two-wheelers as taxis within six weeks, because the vehicle registration and traffic aggregator guidelines did not cover the private two-wheelers to be used as public transport vehicles, and as such, plying them was illegal.

Banning the two-wheeler taxis, the court had also advised the state to frame guidelines for bike taxis so that they can be regularised.

Accordingly, the transport minister, Reddy, had directed his department to enforce the ban as ordered by the High Court.

Perturbed and pained, over 100 bike taxi drivers, associated with various transport aggregators like Ola, Uber, Namma Yatri called on the transport minister on Monday and urged him to protect their livelihood.