Rapido launches ‘Bike Direct’ as Uber, Ola halt bike taxi service in Karnataka

Days after bike taxi aggregators resumed plying in Karnataka, Rapido has introduced a new feature called ‘Bike Direct’ to continue operations, while Uber and Ola have stopped offering the service just two days after the Karnataka High Court’s clarification.

A check on the Rapido app by The Hindu revealed that the company has rolled out ‘Bike Direct’, which it claims is a “non-profit initiative by Rapido aimed at supporting our captains whose livelihoods were severely impacted due to recent operational restrictions.” In contrast, Uber and Ola have removed the bike taxi feature from their apps.

When contacted, a Rapido spokesperson said, “While the High Court permitted individual captains to operate independently, no one was able to secure bookings due to the absence of a dedicated infrastructure or platform. In response to their request, Rapido has stepped forward to provide them access to our technology, purely as a livelihood support measure under the name ‘Bike Direct’. “This initiative enables captains to connect with potential customers and earn an income, helping them sustain their daily lives,” it said.

“We wish to clarify that ‘Bike Direct’ is not a commercial service and does not signify Rapido’s return to operating bike taxis. It is solely a non-profit, humanitarian effort to empower captains with the tools they need to rebuild their means of earning,” spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Uber and Ola were not available for comment.

The High Court of Karnataka on Friday orally clarified to State Advocate-General Shashi Kiran Shetty that the court, on August 20, had only asked the A-G to instruct the authorities not to take any precipitative action against individual bike taxi owners or drivers for operating their vehicles.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi gave this clarification when the A-G complained that aggregators, like Uber, Ola and Rapido, have started offering bike taxis on their platforms even though the court had not given any such liberty to them.