Page 2 - Transport

Karnataka bike taxi ban: Riders hold hunger protest, write letter to CM

Members of the Bike Taxi Welfare Association staged a hunger protest on Sunday, demanding to lift the ban on bike taxis in Karnataka and calling for an inclusive policy framework. They have also written an open letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. According to the association, protests were held in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya, Davangere, and Ramanagara, with several bike taxi riders participating. App-based bike taxi services were suspended across Karnataka on June 16 after the Karnataka High Court refused to stay an earlier order suspending such operations unless the state government notifies relevant guidelines under the Motor Vehicles Act. A division bench of the High Court, on June 13, had declined to stay the April 2 order given by a single judge, which directed bike taxi operators to stop services within six weeks. This deadline was later extended to June 15. "Sir, we, who ride through rain and sun to serve Karnataka, are writing this letter not out of anger but out of ...

Ashok Leyland secures order for 200 trucks from Instant Transport

Ashok Leyland will supply 200 trucks to Instant Transport Solution as part of a strategic deal that reinforces its leadership in India's commercial vehicle segment

Maha transporters threaten strike from Jul 1 against traffic e-challans

Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Thursday directed officials to form a committee and submit a report within one month in connection with the threat by transporters to go on strike from July 1 to protest against the e-challan system for traffic violations. A release issued from the state transport minister's office said the government is committed to addressing the grievances of transport operators. Transporters in Maharashtra, including private bus and truck operators, have called for an indefinite strike from July 1 to protest against the "unjust" collection of fines through e-challans as well as for other demands. Vahatukdar Bachao Kruti Samiti, an action committee of transporters, is not satisfied with the move, said its leader Uday Barge to PTI. Transporters are firm on launching the strike on July 1 for demands like stopping the forceful collection of e-challan fines, waiving existing penalties, cancelling the mandatory cleaner rule for heavy vehicles, and reconsidering

Plan to double projects to ₹5 trillion this year, says Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari talks about why elections should not matter while setting targets, his take on being seen as a future prime minister, and much more

Bike taxi ban challenged in K'taka HC citing fundamental rights violation

Two individual bike owners moved the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, challenging a recent single judge ruling that banned the operation of bike taxis in the state. The petitioners argued that the state cannot infringe upon the fundamental right to carry on a business or choose a bike taxi over the metro or a bus. Represented by Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, the owners argued that the prohibition not only contradicts provisions in the Motor Vehicles Act, but also severely impacts both their livelihood and public convenience. Appearing before a Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice C M Joshi, Chinnappa contended that the Motor Vehicles Act allows two-wheelers to be registered as transport vehicles. Therefore, the state government cannot legally refuse to issue contract carriage permits to bikes intended for taxi use. The law enables registration of two-wheelers as transport vehicles. If the statute allows it, the state cannot override it by ...

Evera Cabs secures $4 mn from Mufin Green Finance to speed up EV expansion

Homegrown EV cab firm Evera secures funding from Mufin Green Finance to double airport reach, scale operations with BluSmart fleet acquisition and new growth targets

Relief for travellers: Govt announces ₹3,000 annual toll pass on NHs

Valid for 200 trips or one year, the annual FASTag pass aims to ease congestion and toll disputes for private vehicles, with rollout set for August 15, 2025

Datanomics: Cracks in infrastructure and gaps in spending by states

Bridge collapses are on the rise, jumping from 21 in 2023 to 29 in 2024 though it fluctuated in between. This represented a 38 per cent year-on-year growth in 2024

1 in 3 Goa taxis now local app-based as state bars outside aggregators

Nearly one out of three taxis operating in Goa are enrolled on the local app-based platforms in the coastal state, with most of them catering to tourists, official data shows. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's recent announcement that his government will not allow cab aggregators from outside Goa has raised hopes for the local app-based mobility platforms, which have been in the market for some time now. As per government figures, out of the total 12,000 tourist taxis operating in the state, 5,000 are on board the app-based platforms, mostly with two companies -- Goa Miles and Goa Taxi App. The Goa Miles alone has a fleet of 4,000-odd taxis on board. Allaying the apprehensions raised by local tourist taxi drivers over the Goa Transport Aggregators Guidelines 2025, CM Sawant on Friday said cab aggregators from outside will not be allowed in the state. The draft guidelines were issued on May 20. The last date to give suggestions and raise objections is June 30. Goa Miles Chief Executi

Draft policy proposes major changes to transport systems of specially abled

A new draft framework has proposed sweeping changes to transport systems to make them more accessible for persons with disabilities (PwDs), including mandatory wheelchair space in buses and Metro trains, step-free toilets at stations, level boarding ramps, and trained staff across air, rail and road transport networks. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has invited comments and suggestions from the stakeholders and general public on the draft accessibility standards for the transport and mobility sector. The draft 'Transport Accessibility Framework' has been prepared by the Strategic Accessibility Cell Rights of Riders (SAC-RR). It lays out detailed, enforceable standards across the transport chain from booking and boarding to infrastructure, vehicles and emergency response. Most measures are marked non-negotiable, meaning they would be binding once the guidelines take effect. The department said

Evera Cabs initiates repossession of BluSmart-operated 500 electric cabs

App-based electric taxi service provider Evera Cabs (Prakriti Mobility) on Monday said it has initiated the repossession of 500 electric cabs earlier operated by troubled BluSmart. Already 220 vehicles have been acquired and the remaining 280 are set to be reclaimed in the coming days, Evera Cabs said in a statement. The company is looking to enhance its position as a leading electric cab service provider, with a strong focus on airport mobility, it added. Evera claimed that alongside the fleet integration, "a big chunk of BluSmart drivers" are queuing up to join it with 10 per cent of them being women. Around 150 drivers have started doing trips and recruitment efforts are ongoing to ensure service readiness as the fleet scales up. "What we're executing is not just a scale-up, it is a realignment of the electric mobility narrative in India. As key players recalibrate, Evera is stepping forward with clear intent, absorbing proven EV assets and trusted drivers to ensure uninterrupte

BEST to rationalise bus routes to improve Mumbai Metro Line 3 connectivity

In a bid to enhance last-mile connectivity, complementing the upcoming launch of the second phase of the Mumbai Metro 3 Line, the BEST undertaking has proposed rationalising 32 bus routes in 2025. According to official documents accessed by PTI, the plan includes augmentation on 13 routes (464 trips), diversion of six routes (264 trips), extension of three routes (78 trips), and curtailment of 10 routes (435 trips), totalling 1,241 trips. This initiative is expected to reduce average passenger wait times by up to 15 minutes. Last month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reviewed the financial condition of rihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), which operates a fleet of around 2,800 busesdown from 4,500 a decade agoand serves over 30 lakh passengers daily in Mumbai and surrounding areas. During the review meeting, BEST presented its route rationalisation strategy in anticipation of the full rollout of Mumbai Metro Line 3 (ColabaBKCAarey), also known as the Aqua

Power subsidy for Delhi homes, farmers, lawyers, riot victims to continue

Delhi Transport Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh on the EV policy said that all vehicles will continue to ply

Road map for efficiency: India must rethink its transport strategy

Proper transport planning can address infrastructure bottlenecks by facilitating larger-scale, pan-Indian connectivity

Traffic growth moderation may have implications for toll road entities

Toll collection growth is expected to slow down to 5-8 per cent in FY25 from 10 per cent in FY24

Centre looks to integrate transport planning under new mechanism

The government has an inter-ministerial consultative mechanism for infrastructure planning and execution - the Prime Minister Gati-Shakti framework

Amid financial crisis, BluSmart reaches 25 million trips milestone

Despite the company's challenges, BluSmart has assured that its ride-hailing operations will remain unaffected and also denied its sale to any competitor business

E-buses to drive 50% of India business by FY27: JBM Auto's Nishant Arya

E-buses account for 35% of JBM Auto's revenue at present. The company, a key player in India's automotive sector, particularly in the e-bus segment, has a 30-40 per cent market share in the country

Uber introduces 'Uber for Teens' for safe and supervised transport

The update has been launched across 37 cities in the country, including metros such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Chennai, among others

Madhya Pradesh Cabinet clears PPP-based Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Sewa

Under this initiative, the government will not purchase buses itself but will instead partner with private operators through the PPP model