Bengaluru: Rapido has paused its bike taxi services in Karnataka following a High Court order upholding the state’s decision to ban such operations.
In response, the aggregator launched a new ‘bike parcel’ feature, which appeared on the app just as the ban took effect, raising eyebrows and drawing mixed reactions online.
Have a look at one such X post here:
On June 13, the Karnataka High Court declined to stay the state government’s earlier policy decision against allowing bike taxi operations. The court also noted that since the state had already made its position clear, there was “no basis to issue a stay” and acknowledged that the matter involves both public interest and the livelihoods of drivers.
Responding to the legal setback, Rapido rolled out a new ‘bike parcel’ service on its app. Users in Karnataka were greeted with a message that read, “Starting June 16, 2025, our bike taxi services in Karnataka will be paused in compliance with recent High Court orders.” The company also added, “While we deeply believe in the value bike taxis bring to daily commuters, we respect the law and will fully abide by the directive.”
Although bike taxis still appeared on platforms like Ola and Uber, no rides were being accepted as of Monday morning, suggesting widespread compliance or uncertainty among drivers.
The development quickly stirred conversation online. One user mocked the workaround, saying, “Can’t book a ride? No worries – just parcel yourself to work. Call it: PaaS – Passenger as a Service.” Another complained, “Not even 8am, and Bengaluru is choked already… had to take an auto. Give me walkable shortest paths to the bus stops, and bike lanes, please.”
