The Karnataka High Court on Friday lifted the ban on bike taxi services in the state, setting aside an earlier single-judge order that had upheld the Siddaramaiah government's prohibition.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi allowed appeals filed by aggregators, including Ola, Uber and Rapido, ruling that bikes can be used as transport vehicles subject to legal permissions.

The court dismissed the April 2025 ban order and directed bike owners and aggregators to apply for licences, and instructed the government to issue permits in accordance with existing laws.

The court said that while the state can examine all relevant aspects of applications, it cannot refuse taxi registration simply because the vehicle is a motorcycle.

"Taxi owners are allowed to apply to register motorcycles as transport vehicles or contract carriages, and the state must consider these applications in accordance with the law. Aggregators are also free to submit fresh applications, which must be processed following the court’s observations," the order said.

The state’s blanket ban on bike taxi services came into effect in June last year.

The Karnataka government had enforced the ban following a High Court verdict that upheld an earlier government order declaring platforms like Rapido, Ola, and Uber Moto illegal, citing the absence of a clear regulatory framework.

At the time, the aggregators appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, urging immediate intervention to halt the ban, warning that it would jeopardize livelihoods and disrupt affordable daily commutes for millions.

Two months later, however, bike taxi operator Rapido resumed services in August 2025 without court approval, prompting the Karnataka State Private Transport Association to file a formal complaint, alleging that the company’s actions amounted to contempt of court.

Source: India Today