It’s been a week since the Karnataka government enforced a bike taxi ban in Bengaluru, and the city is already paying the price. Roads are more jammed, autos are charging more, and gig workers are out of jobs.
The ban came into effect on June 16. Since then, many officegoers who once depended on bike taxis have had no choice but to switch to personal vehicles. This has directly led to a spike in traffic congestion across the city.
Data from TomTom, a Dutch navigation tech company, shows that 7 pm traffic congestion levels have consistently gone above normal post-ban. A senior traffic officer even admitted to rising congestion but said they are still studying the link.
On the ground, the picture is clear. A user on X wrote, “Last week, Silk Board to Marathahalli took two hours. Now it’s 2.5.” That’s Bengaluru for you—already jammed, now worse.
Autos are cashing in
With bike taxis out of the way, auto rickshaws are ruling the streets—and not kindly. Riders complain of refusals, illegal fare hikes, and being forced to tip drivers before they accept rides.
According to the law, app-based autos can charge only 10% above the base fare, which is Rs 30 for the first 2 km. But aggregators are now charging up to Rs 50 as the minimum, often with a ‘tip’ added to speed up bookings.
Shahana Syed from Ramamurthy Nagar shared, “A trip that cost me Rs 70 on Rapido now costs Rs 250 by auto. I’ve switched to my own bike.” And that’s not just her—more personal vehicles mean more jams.
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Gig workers left stranded
The hardest hit are the bike taxi riders themselves—especially women. Uber had just launched “Moto Women” to support female riders and passengers. Rapido was also piloting women-only rides.
But now, thousands have lost work. Lakshmi, who rode for Rapido, said, “I made Rs 300 a day and managed my own time. Now I’m back to cleaning houses.”
Rekha, another rider, had taken a loan to buy a bike. “Now that loan is wasted,” she said.
It’s especially shocking because the state had just introduced the Gig Workers Welfare Ordinance. Yet, over 6 lakh riders are now jobless.
Government stands firm
Despite the public backlash, the Karnataka transport department is unmoved. Minister Ramalinga Reddy insists, “Bike taxis are illegal and unsafe. We have enough buses and autos.”
But critics say the city’s public transport isn’t keeping up. Even Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who once rode pillion with a gig worker for a photo-op, has stayed silent.
The Namma Bike Taxi Association has written to the CM and Gandhi, but no response yet. Riders were even denied permission to protest at Freedom Park.
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