Bengaluru: Despite a week-long enforcement drive by the Transport Department, bike taxis continue to operate on Bengaluru roads, with ride-aggregator platforms retaining the option on their apps.

Since the crackdown began on August 5, more than 500 two-wheelers being used as bike taxis have been seized, according to MP Omkareshwari, Additional Commissioner of Transport (Enforcement, South).

Drivers find ways to evade crackdown

Transport officials said enforcement will continue, but drivers are attempting to avoid action by alerting others about locations where officers are conducting checks.

Officials said riders have been using different methods to evade enforcement teams after learning where inspections are taking place.

The continued operation has also brought renewed attention to the regulatory uncertainty surrounding bike taxis in Karnataka.

Aggregators retain bike taxi option

Industry sources said ride-hailing platforms have no immediate plans to remove the bike taxi option until they receive an official order from the Supreme Court.

A senior mobility platform official argued that the issue has been prolonged and expressed confidence that the court would not favour a ban, while also questioning safety concerns cited in the debate.

Platforms help some drivers with penalties

The Bike Taxi Welfare Association of Karnataka claimed that some platforms have begun reimbursing penalties imposed on drivers.

Association president Adi Narayan said Rapido and Uber were among the platforms assisting drivers with challan reimbursements in cases where they were allegedly fined despite having the required documents.

Rapido and Uber declined to comment, while Ola did not respond to queries.

Drivers alert each other about enforcement

Bike taxi drivers have also reportedly begun sharing information about numbers used by transport officials during enforcement operations.

According to driver Abdul Ahad, some officers are booking bike taxis undercover before taking action against riders. Drivers, he said, are now sharing such information with other riders and aggregator platforms.

With enforcement continuing and aggregators retaining the service option, the dispute over bike taxis remains unresolved in Bengaluru #bengaluru #bike #taxi #crackdown #newskarnataka