Karnataka govt to move Supreme Court against High Court order on bike taxis
Bengaluru : The ongoing legal tussle over bike taxi services in Karnataka has escalated, with the state government preparing to challenge the High Court order in the Supreme Court of India. The move comes after Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah gave their approval to file an appeal.
The state government has made it clear that it has no intention of framing a separate regulatory policy for bike taxis. Officials said the decision to approach the apex court stems from the recent Karnataka High Court ruling, which directed the government to consider granting licences to bike taxi aggregators under central guidelines.
The legal developments date back to last year when a single-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court declared bike taxis illegal and imposed a ban across the state. However, in a significant turn of events, a division bench on January 23 this year ruled that the government cannot outright reject applications seeking licences for bike taxi operations. It further directed authorities to examine such applications and issue permits in accordance with existing norms, including provisions for yellow board registrations under central rules.
The ruling contradicted the state government’s consistent stance against bike taxis, prompting the decision to challenge it before the Supreme Court. Sources in the transport department confirmed that consultations with legal experts are already underway and preparations are being made to file the appeal before April 23.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Private Transport Associations’ Federation has backed the government’s position. Federation president Nataraj Sharma stated that clarity in law is essential and welcomed the move to seek a final verdict from the apex court.
The outcome of the case is expected to have significant implications for urban mobility and aggregator-based transport services in Karnataka, where bike taxis have remained a contentious issue between regulators, operators, and traditional transport stakeholders.
