K'taka HC refuses to stay order suspending bike, taxi services from June 16

The Karnataka High Court on Friday refused to stay a single-judge bench's order suspending bike and taxi services in the state from June 16.

The appeal filed challenging the order issued by the single-judge bench to cancel bike taxis was heard by a two-judge bench of Acting Chief Justice Kameswar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar.

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Kameswar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar directed the petitioners - Ola and Uber - and the respondent (transport department) to file their submissions on merit by June 20, while the matter was adjourned to June 24.

Senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, representing the petitioner, requested permission to use the bike taxi service until the next hearing.

The two-judge bench questioned the government about the time it takes to formulate bike taxi rules and said that a stay order is not possible since new rules have not been formulated.

The court has adjourned the hearing for 10 days. In its order dated April 2, the court had ordered that all bike taxi services be stopped within six weeks.

The six-week deadline to suspend bike operations was to expire in May. However, bike taxi operators, including Rapido, Ola, and Uber, approached the court seeking an extension.

The judge, who considered the request, finally extended the deadline to cease bike taxi operations to June 15.

ANI Technologies (owned by Ola) had filed an appeal in the court on June 11, and Uber on June 2, challenging the April 2 verdict.