Days after the Karnataka High Court upheld the state government's ban on bike taxi services, the citizens continue to protest against the decision. The ban officially kicked into effect from June 16, leaving thousands of daily commuters without an affordable alternative to beat the gruesome Bengaluru traffic.
On social media, the backlash against the decision is palpable, with users venting their anger while others sharing how they were being forced to cough up money beyond their means.
"At Rs 700/day for 2 way commute by Auto, that's almost India's per capita income.. Wasn't the zero commission model supposed to reduce prices? How did we end up with surged prices?" wrote one user.
"Bengaluru traffic worsens after bike taxi ban, auto fares are rising since they don't have a competitor now, charging whatever pops onto their minds," added another.
A third commented: "Not even 8am, and #Bengaluru is choked already. Thanks to the #biketaxi ban, had to take an auto. Give me walkable shortest paths to the bus stops, and bike lanes, please. This is no way to create cities."
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Cheeky workaround?
In the aftermath of the ban, some social media users spotted Rapido replacing the banned 'bike taxi' service with a 'bike parcel' service. By booking themselves as a 'parcel' for intra-city couriers, the commuters could traverse the Bengaluru traffic to reach their destination.
"The bike taxi ban starts today in Karnataka...but the Product Owner at Rapido Bike app has already bypassed the law... can't book a ride? No worries - just parcel yourself to work... Call it: 'PaaS - Passenger as a Service'," an X user called Dhanvi said, with a screenshot of a 'bike parcel' booking.
Notably, the Karnataka HC division bench in its judgment said it would have considered granting a stay on the order if the state had indicated progress in drafting the rules. However, the government stated that it had taken a policy decision not to frame such regulations, leading the court to deny relief to the aggregators.
The bench issued notices to the state government and other respondents, setting the next hearing for June 24.
