Plea to enforce framework for aggregators who offer bike taxi services

Madurai: Madras high court has sought response from the state government on a plea seeking a direction to the state to enact and enforce a comprehensive regulatory framework governing aggregators who offer bike taxi services in Tamil Nadu.A division bench of justice N Sathish Kumar and justice M Jothiraman observed that a perusal of the status report filed by the state transport commissioner indicates that clarity concerning the status of aggregators was lacking till the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, was made to regulate the aggregators. The judges took note of the fact that now a proposal is sent to constitute an expert committee to give suggestions and frame a comprehensive Rules and Regulations indicating that aggregators are accountable and responsible for the operation executed by them and also for framing specific guidelines for such regulation.Hence, the judges directed the principal secretary of Tamil Nadu transport department and state transport commissioner to file a detailed report detailing the progress made pursuant to the proposal and the timeline for finalising such regulatory framework.The court passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by R Naveen Kumar of Madurai. The petitioner stated that in recent years, app-based bike taxi services.,

have become an integral part of the transport ecosystem in Tamil Nadu. These services provide essential last-mile connectivity and serve as a primary source of livelihood. However, a critical regulatory vacuum exists due to the state government’s failure to notify a specific scheme for non-transport motorcycles used for passenger aggregation.He stated that the regulatory vacuum has created the problems in two major aspects; one is absence of safety standard and accountability which resulted in threat to public safety, second is absence of state mechanism to obtain permit to two-wheeler thereby affects the livelihood of the riders.

The state government is empowered and duty-bound under Section 67(3) and Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025 to regulate such services.Hence, the petitioner moved court. He also sought a direction to the state to take necessary steps permitting the registration of motorcycles as transport vehicles and grant appropriate permits enabling their lawful operation in terms of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the Rules.