Karnataka to Supreme Court: Bike taxis not public transport vehicles

The Karnataka government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that a High Court order allowing bike taxis overlooks safety concerns, higher accident fatality rates, and congestion. The state argued that motorcycles have limited utility as public transport vehicles and that restricting their use for carrying passengers is both reasonable and in public interest.

The matter was mentioned before a Bench led by Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, which deferred it for detailed hearing. The state, represented by advocate Sanchit Garga, is challenging a January 2026 decision of the Karnataka High Court's Division Bench that set aside an earlier order stopping bike taxi services pending a state policy.

The state submitted that it has not imposed a blanket ban on motorcycles for commercial purposes. “Rather, it has only restricted their use for carrying passengers,” the government said. It pointed out that motorcycle riders have alternative livelihoods, including under the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, which provides statutory protection and welfare measures.

The dispute began in April 2025, when a Single Bench of the High Court stopped bike taxi operations until the state framed a policy. In January 2026, the Division Bench overturned that order, holding that taxi aggregators and individual motorcycle owners have a “crystallised right to obtain permits” under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. It directed authorities to consider applications for contract carriage permits for motorcycles.

The state's appeal argues that the Division Bench erred by treating motorcycles as transport vehicles. “The statutory framework clearly contemplates that the grant of permits is not automatic but subject to scrutiny based on considerations of public safety, suitability of the vehicle, and regulatory preparedness,” the state said.

The petition also contends that the High Court misconstrued definitions by equating motorcycles with motor cabs and contract carriages. “By reading motorcycles into the definitions of motor cab and contract carriage, the impugned judgment creates a vehicle category unknown to the statute,” it said. The state further argued that the physical ability of a motorcycle to carry a pillion rider does not mean it is legally authorised to carry passengers for hire.

The Supreme Court will take up the matter for detailed hearing on a later date. The outcome will determine whether bike taxi services can operate in Karnataka pending the state's policy, and could set a precedent for other states with similar restrictions.