Bike taxi ban begins today in Karnataka: ‘Not a side income, this is how we survive,’ say drivers

The Namma Bike Taxi Association has written to Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, urging his intervention.

Bike taxis will no longer be allowed to operate in Karnataka starting Monday, following the Karnataka High Court’s refusal to stay a state government order banning their services. 

The move comes as a major setback to thousands of gig workers, especially in Bengaluru, where bike taxis had become a popular mode of transport.

In response, the Namma Bike Taxi Association has written to Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, urging his intervention to protect the livelihoods of over one lakh gig workers across Karnataka who depend on bike taxi services for their daily income.

“Over 1,00,000 gig workers in Bengaluru and across Karnataka are losing our right to earn and feed our families because of a blanket ban on bike taxi services. As their collective voice, this is an appeal to you to stop this ban and help us earn our daily bread with dignity,” the Association wrote in its letter.

The letter highlights the challenges faced by bike taxi riders, many of whom are students, daily-wage workers, and sole breadwinners in their families. “Some of us work all 7 days, covering 10–12 hours a day, just to feed our families. We ride in the hot sun, heavy rain, and traffic to keep the city moving. Bike taxis are not a side income. They are how we survive,” the Association said.

While concerns over safety, helmet quality, and lack of regulation have been raised by the government in defence of the ban, the Association argued that the solution lies in introducing clear licensing, training, and insurance frameworks, not in stripping workers of their only source of income.