 "Inclined to stay bike taxi ban: K'taka HC seeks clarity on gig workers law")
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday said it was inclined to stay the ban on bike taxi services in the state if the government’s legislation does not suitably cover such operations, Bar and Bench reported.
A Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi made the observation while hearing pleas by Uber, Rapido, Ani Technologies (Ola Cabs), and the Bike Taxi Welfare Association against a ruling that barred bike taxis without state guidelines under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
During Thursday's hearing, Karnataka's Advocate General (AG) Shashi Kiran Shetty submitted in the court that the state has enacted a legislation for the protection of gig workers. The law, the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, was notified by the government on September 12.
According to the law, "ride sharing" services have been included under the schedule defining the services provided by aggregators or platforms.
However, upon listening to this submission, the court remarked, "We are inclined to pass a full-fledged stay at this stage. One month we have given for the government to come up with some policy for riders and nothing was done. You came up with it (a policy) for gig workers".
Responding to this, AG Shetty clarified that the legislation includes two-wheelers. The state added that bike taxi platforms were operating despite the court-imposed ban. The court, however, urged the government not to take coercive action against individual riders.
The court adjourned the hearing to October 15.
What is the case about?
Earlier this year, a single-judge bench held that bike taxi services could not operate until the state issued guidelines under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act and related rules, and that the government could not be compelled to process licence applications.
Last month, however, the high court criticised the state’s blanket ban on bike taxis, calling its arguments “thin” and “legally untenable". Chief Justice Bakhru said that a mere lack of regulation cannot be the basis for a blanket ban that deprives thousands of their right to work under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.