Another aggregator Rapido has been working non-electric bike-taxis within the metropolis since 2016.
In 2016, Ola and Uber launched respective bike-taxi providers: Ola Bike and Uber Moto however have been compelled to wind up operations after the transport division took motion for working with out permission. On Monday, TOI discovered bike-taxis out there on the Uber app at tariffs cheaper than that of autorickshaws. Uber was unavailable for remark.
In March 2019, the transport division had suspended the licence of Ola for working bike-taxis and the order was later revoked. It continues to be unclear whether or not motion can be initiated towards Uber now.
In 2016, each Ola and Uber acquired licences from the division to run taxis within the metropolis for 5 years beneath the Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules. While Ola’s licence expired in June 2021, Uber’s expired later in December. However, the officers stated they’re unable to take motion towards Ola and Uber because the licences have expired.
The corporations have approached the excessive court docket towards the principles and the case continues to be pending.
According to the division information, there are 1.04 crore automobiles registered in Bengaluru which incorporates 69.3 lakh two-wheelers (66.5%) until March 2022. Many commuters stated bike-taxis are the necessity of the hour.
“When autorickshaws refuse to ply by government fixed fare, cabs are expensive and reliable, bike taxis are more suitable for the city. It’s cheaper and faster in this traffic” stated Ramesh Kumar, a resident of JP Nagar.
On the opposite hand, autorickshaw drivers stated permitting white board two-wheelers to run as bike-taxis is towards guidelines. Peace Auto and Taxi Drivers Association’s Raghu Narayana Gowda, who not too long ago led a protest over the problem at Freedom Park, stated: “The earnings of auto drivers have reduced due to illegal bike-taxis and Covid-19. We are paying high insurance premium, MV taxes because of yellow-board vehicles. We also have to recalibrate meters, follow rules like yellow-badge, and renew fitness certificates once every two years. White-board vehicles are not saddled with such extra burden. Local police stations have contact details of auto drivers but there is no such information on bike-taxis. So they are unsafe for women passengers,” he added.
Only electrical bike-taxis allowed: Officials
Transport division officers stated solely battery-run two-wheelers are permitted to run as bike-taxis. In July 2021, the federal government unveiled the bold electrical bike-taxi scheme to make sure first and last-mile connectivity primarily in city areas, to and from Metro, bus and railway stations. However, solely two-wheeler rental agency Bounce has utilized for a licence to run elective bike-taxis to this point.
“We will issue a permit to Bounce bike taxis at the next State Transport Authority (STA) meeting,” stated an official.
Sources stated many corporations should not eager to personal automobiles and people who wish to run bike-taxis by means of these platforms should not able to purchase electrical two-wheelers because the preliminary value is excessive (over Rs 1 lakh). E-bikes are seen as a drawback because of the scarcity of charging factors within the metropolis which is a deterrent to long-distance journeys. In addition to this, petrol-run two-wheelers are quicker so the drivers can full extra journeys to get incentives from aggregators.
According to Karnataka Electric Bike Taxi Scheme-2021, permits can be given to brokers/canvasser and likewise for people. The distance between the origin and vacation spot of a visit shall not be greater than 10km. The licensee shall cost flat fare in two slabs: as much as 5km and 5-10km.
Shared providers but to start
Ola and Uber are but to renew car-pool providers (Ola share and Uber pool) within the metropolis. Commuters stated carpooling providers are pocket-friendly and cut back the variety of automobiles on the street.
Ola and Uber weren’t out there for remark. QuickRide, a automobile pooling agency, stated they’re getting good response from office-goers. “We see carpooling is coming back now, with almost 20,000-plus requests getting created daily in Bengaluru,” KNM Rao, founder and CEO of QuickRide.
“Carpooling is the safest commuting option and can also help to maintain safety at the workplace. Solid carpooling practice/network at an enterprise or tech park will play a significant role, for getting employees to work comfortably. The hesitation of commuting stress is taken out,” he stated.