Just days after the ban of bike taxis in Karnataka, partnered riders and distressed commuters are taking to social media to express their disappointment. Netizens are using hashtags like #weneedbiketaxis and #BackwardPolicyKillsProgress to express their grief about the traffic conditions in Bengaluru. Rapido, Uber, and Ola have been banned from operating bike taxis in the state, however a few of the ride hailing services have found a workaround to this, and have rebranded their bike taxi services. These companies are now offering options like ‘Bike Parcels’ and ‘Motor Courier’, and are still operating their bike taxi services under the garb of the new branding.
One Bengaluru resident posted on Twitter, “You cannot increase traffic just because you want to support autos. We need #biketaxi in Bengaluru again. It was most convenient for traffic. People without brains deciding fate of millions.” Another user posted, “Why walk 2 km to the main road? Why pay Rs. 200 for a 4 km trip? We Need BikeTaxi – for the daily commuter who deserves better!”
“Every bike taxi off the road is a lost job and a delayed journey. We need smarter mobility, not outdated restrictions,” a user named Viraj posted on X. There are also photos of riders being shared on social media pleading the government to reverse the ban.
Rapido, when first introduced, rose to fame for its bike taxi services, but has since been banned by many states due to regulatory and safety issues. In a most recent incident, a woman was assaulted by a Rapido driver after she expressed concerns over rash driving. However, new CCTV footage shows that the woman attacked the rider first.
