The karnataka High court has declined to stay a previous order that prohibited bike taxi services like Rapido and uber Moto from operating in the absence of state-framed regulations under the Motor vehicles Act, therefore these services would be shut down throughout karnataka as of june 16.
The shift will undoubtedly make daily travel more challenging for the lakhs of Bengalureans who depend on bike taxis for quick and reasonably priced travel, particularly during rush hour or the Metro.
According to a Moneycontrol report, the decision was made on june 13 when a division bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice v Kameswar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar rejected a request to stay an order issued by a single judge on april 2 that called for a complete stop to bike taxi activities within six weeks. The deadline, which was previously extended, now expires on june 15, meaning that enforcement will begin on june 16.
Court Pushes for Rules First
Uber india and ANI Technologies (Ola) filed the appeals, contesting the april ruling that said businesses could not run bike taxi services until karnataka issued appropriate regulations under the Motor vehicles Act.
On behalf of the aggregators, senior counsel Dhyan Chinnappa contended that the court had previously recognized the usage of two-wheelers as transport vehicles. Advocate General Shashi kiran Shetty, however, insisted that these cars could only be used following a legal policy. Shetty disagreed, saying, "They cannot operate until such rules are framed." Uber's legal team also contended that federal standards allow operations even in the absence of state-specific laws.
The state government and other respondents have now received notifications from the division bench requesting that they submit their answers by june 20. The ban will take effect in the interim, but the next hearing on the issue is scheduled for june 24.
Impact on Livelihoods
Wide-ranging effects are anticipated from the upcoming halt. Rapido brought attention to the ban's human cost in court, warning the justices that it will impact more than six lakh livelihoods throughout Karnataka. According to the firm, 75% of its riders rely on the platform as their main source of income, with an average monthly income of Rs 35,000.
According to the report, Rapido claimed to have paid its riders over Rs 700 crore and made over Rs 100 crore in GST contributions in Bengaluru alone.
The shift will undoubtedly make daily travel more challenging for the lakhs of Bengalureans who depend on bike taxis for quick and reasonably priced travel, particularly during rush hour or the Metro.
According to a Moneycontrol report, the decision was made on june 13 when a division bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice v Kameswar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar rejected a request to stay an order issued by a single judge on april 2 that called for a complete stop to bike taxi activities within six weeks. The deadline, which was previously extended, now expires on june 15, meaning that enforcement will begin on june 16.
Court Pushes for Rules First
Uber india and ANI Technologies (Ola) filed the appeals, contesting the april ruling that said businesses could not run bike taxi services until karnataka issued appropriate regulations under the Motor vehicles Act.
On behalf of the aggregators, senior counsel Dhyan Chinnappa contended that the court had previously recognized the usage of two-wheelers as transport vehicles. Advocate General Shashi kiran Shetty, however, insisted that these cars could only be used following a legal policy. Shetty disagreed, saying, "They cannot operate until such rules are framed." Uber's legal team also contended that federal standards allow operations even in the absence of state-specific laws.
The state government and other respondents have now received notifications from the division bench requesting that they submit their answers by june 20. The ban will take effect in the interim, but the next hearing on the issue is scheduled for june 24.
Impact on Livelihoods
Wide-ranging effects are anticipated from the upcoming halt. Rapido brought attention to the ban's human cost in court, warning the justices that it will impact more than six lakh livelihoods throughout Karnataka. According to the firm, 75% of its riders rely on the platform as their main source of income, with an average monthly income of Rs 35,000.
According to the report, Rapido claimed to have paid its riders over Rs 700 crore and made over Rs 100 crore in GST contributions in Bengaluru alone.
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