Bengaluru: As transport dept intensifies its crackdown on illegal bike-taxi operations, commuters are questioning why the same urgency is not being shown against autorickshaw drivers who allegedly overcharge passengers, refuse trips, and exploit the shortage of alternative transport.Over the past three days, transport officials have seized nearly 350 bike taxis in the city for allegedly operating private two-wheelers for commercial purposes. Bike owners now face penalties ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, besides the possibility of suspension of driving licences and seizure of their vehicles.However, the enforcement drive has triggered frustration among daily commuters, many of whom say the disappearance of bike taxis has left them with little choice but to depend on autorickshaws charging exorbitant fares.“I’m impressed by govt’s enthusiasm in cracking down on illegal bike taxis. But I wish they showed the same promptness in acting against auto drivers,” said commuter Reshma.Netizens questioned transport minister Byrathi Suresh’s silence on the issue. “Where are these officers when auto drivers refuse rides to senior citizens or ask for 5x of the actual fare,” a netizen asked. Said Reema M, a project manager at Bagmane Tech Park: “It takes around Rs 90 by bike taxi to return home. But auto drivers are now pointing to rain and demanding Rs 220 for the same trip. Moreover, nine out of 10 drivers I approach refuse to ply to my destination.”Another commuter, Ravi Prasad, said the crackdown has significantly increased travel expenses. “I usually rely on bike taxis because there are no frequent buses on my route. For the past two days, I had to take an auto that charged me more than double the normal fare. Since I can’t afford that every day, I switched to a longer bus route, which added 45 minutes to my commute because of heavy traffic on Outer Ring Road. Instead of making commuting easier, govt is making life more difficult.”We need clarity: AssociationNamma Bike Taxi Association, representing over 1 lakh bike-taxi riders and gig workers across Karnataka, accused the transport department of ignoring repeated requests for clarity on operating legally.The association said it submitted several representations to the department and Regional Transport Offices after high court observed that motorcycles could be registered as transport vehicles and directed the state to regulate bike-taxi services. It sought guidelines on obtaining commercial registration, complying with safety norms and operating legally until a formal policy was framed, but claimed it never received a response.Responding to the association’s allegations, a transport dept official said Karnataka currently has no rules permitting bike-taxi operations: “We only have regulations governing taxi aggregators. Since there is no policy for bike taxis, they cannot operate legally.”
