2-wheelers should only be allowed for app-based delivery, ban on bike taxis valid: Experts

Bengaluru: An expert committee, that was set up by the Karnataka government following the directions from the High Court, has said that private two-wheelers should be allowed for app-based delivery work. However, the same committee has rejected any attempt to legalise bike taxis in the state. The panel, headed by transport secretary NV Prasad, said bike taxis are illegal under the Motor Vehicles Act, and are not only unsafe for riders and passengers, but also harmful for Bengaluru’s already choking traffic system.

The report explains that delivery work and passenger transport are two completely different activities. Platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto and BigBasket move only goods, not people. The law does not require a delivery rider to use a commercial vehicle. The committee even notes that goods can be carried on foot, on bicycles or on private two-wheelers, and therefore delivery work remains part of normal commercial activity. In its view, this work does not clash with services that carry passengers.

The committee has also said the ban on bike taxis should remain in place. It argues that such services could worsen traffic jams, add legal and environmental problems, and put both riders and passengers at risk because private motorcycles do not have the required permits or insurance for passenger travel. Instead of creating new rules to legalise bike taxis, the panel recommends that the government enforce existing laws strictly while helping riders move into legal gig-economy roles under the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Act.

The background to this issue goes back to November 15, when the state government told the High Court that motorcycles cannot be treated as passenger vehicles. The court asked about this position because Karnataka’s earlier EV policy had allowed e-bike taxis. The government replied that the policy has been withdrawn and repeated that motorcycles cannot be used for hire or reward. The matter will come up again on November 24.

The report makes it clear that bike taxis fall into a different legal category altogether. Carrying a paying passenger on a motorised two-wheeler is considered contract carriage under the Motor Vehicles Act. That means the vehicle needs a commercial registration, transport permits, passenger insurance and an aggregator licence under Section 93. A private motorcycle with a white number plate cannot legally carry a paying passenger. The committee calls bike taxis "transport services hiding behind gig work” to avoid strict rules.

The panel notes that bike taxis operate in a legal vacuum. Section 66(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act bans any vehicle from carrying passengers for hire without a valid permit, and Karnataka has never classified motorcycles as contract carriages. Central rules also require commercial vehicles to use yellow number plates, but bike taxis on platforms like Rapido, Ola and Uber mostly run on private white plates.

The Karnataka High Court had also said in an April 2025 order that aggregators must stop such operations until proper regulations are put in place. The report further points out that IRDAI has not approved any insurance policy for private motorcycles carrying passengers, leaving everyone exposed during accidents.

The committee links the bike-taxi debate to Bengaluru’s serious traffic situation. According to the report, from 2015 to 2025 the city’s population jumped by around 42 percent. During the same period, the number of two-wheelers almost doubled, cars went up by nearly 80 percent, and taxis increased by more than 100 percent. BMTC buses, however, grew by only 14 percent, even though they move a large share of daily commuters.

The rapid increase in private vehicles, the panel says, has slowed down traffic, worsened pollution and put huge pressure on the roads. The unchecked rise in two-wheelers, including illegal bike taxis, adds to the crowding, slows the movement of traffic at junctions, increases emissions from idling engines and makes it harder for police to enforce rules. In several busy areas, almost 70 percent of vehicles are two-wheelers, making it difficult to manage lane discipline or even basic helmet checks.

The committee also highlights the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Act, 2025, which sets up a welfare board and social-security fund for legal gig-economy workers, especially those involved in deliveries and logistics. But it stresses that this law does not make bike taxis legal. The Act cannot override the Motor Vehicles Act or allow services that violate transport rules. Its purpose is to support workers in legal forms of gig work, not to protect unlawful transport operations.

The report urges the state to strengthen public and green transport instead of supporting bike taxis. Karnataka is bringing in thousands of electric buses for BMTC under the PM e-Drive scheme and is working to improve last-mile connections through the expanding Metro network, feeder buses, walking paths and cycling routes. The panel warns that allowing large-scale bike-taxi services could push Bengaluru even deeper into gridlock, while expanding buses and the metro can help build a safer and more livable city.