BENGALURU: Defying the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), a private firm headquartered in HSR Layout has been operating bike taxi services in the city. The RTA is yet to offer aggregator licences for the operation of bike taxis in the city, but Rapido already has been running services, facilitating bookings through its mobile application.
Booking charge for bike taxi service, according to its website, is pegged at Rs 10 and Rs 5 per km (up to 8km) and Rs 10 per additional km. “If you have a two-wheeler, spare time and an urge to earn up to Rs 20,000 a month, join the Rapido community,” the website reads.
Regular users of the Rapido service say bike taxis are the need of the hour. “It’s cheaper than autorickshaws and also reaches the destination faster even during peak hour,” says Sidharth S.
He says bike taxis will also provide employment opportunities. “Many foreign countries have bike taxis services.”
A senior transport department official said, “Companies are not authorised to carry passengers on private bikes. The Motor Vehicle Act does not allow two-wheelers to be used as taxis.
Bike taxis are not safe compared to taxi cabs. We have also seized five two-wheelers of Rapido for unauthorised use as bike taxis from Jayanagar in December. We will take stringent action if they continue to ply as bike taxis.”
“Nearly five companies, including Ola and Uber, have already approached us for licences to operate bike taxis in the city. But we can’t allow them to operate without RTA permit” he adds.
V Shanker, Deputy Commissioner for Bengaluru Urban district, said: “We will take a decision on bike taxis in the next RTA meeting which is scheduled for the first week of February.”
Rapido officials were unavailable for comment.