Bike taxis safer, more affordable: Bengaluru woman moves Karnataka HC over ban

Contrary to the State government’s claim that bike taxis are not safe for women, a woman commuter on Wednesday claimed before the High Court of Karnataka that bike taxis are safer, more affordable, and convenient to women commuters when compared to other modes of public transport like buses and cabs.

This contention was raised before a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice C.M. Joshi. During the hearing on the appeals filed by the association, along with technology transport aggregators Ola, Uber, and Rapido, and a few owners of two-wheelers. The appeals were filed against the April 2 verdict of a single judge, who had held that the aggregators cannot offer bike taxis on their platform unless the State government notifies relevant guidelines.

In eight states

Senior advocate Jayna Kothari, appearing for Vishali Sri Lakshmi, a city-based advocate, pointed to the Bench the scheme of bike taxis in at least eight States, in which elaborate guidelines are laid down for safety of passengers and giving license to bike taxis.

Referring to guidelines laid down by different State governments permitting bike taxis, Ms. Kothari said that background checks, police verification, bar on those with past and present criminal cases were among the stringent conditions imposed on riders for operating bike taxis in other States.

It would be more convenient to women commuters if the bike taxi driver is a woman, Ms. Kothari said while pointing out that some States have given special preference to women bike taxi operators.

Women drivers

To a query by the Bench on the safety aspect of women bike taxi drivers when they have to carry a male passenger, Ms. Kothari said that schemes allow a woman bike taxi driver to carry only women passengers and also women commuters to opt for a bike taxi driven by a woman.

Referring to a pan-India study “unlocking the potential of bike-taxis in India” conducted by KPMG, multinational professional services network, Ms. Kothari said that study shows that bike-taxis offered through aggregator platforms are found to be more safer.

Meanwhile, Senior advocate Udaya Holla, appearing for Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd., which operates Rapido services, bike taxis were being used for last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru as even metro service is faced with this issue.

Referring to the State government’s ‘policy’ to ban bike taxis based on a 2019 report of a committee, Mr. Holla pointed out that the report opposing bike taxis was given by the erstwhile chairman of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation.

Demand by auto drivers

Banning bike taxis for women’s safety is a misnomer, as the ban was a result of demand made by associations of autorickshaw drivers, Mr. Holla contended on behalf of Rapido.

Both Mr. Holla and Ms. Kothari pointed out to the Bench that traffic has increased in Bengaluru city since the government banned bike taxis after June 15.