Delhi will not allow bike taxis to ply on roads

Ola, Uber, and Rapido’s bike taxi services are currently operational in Noida and Ghaziabad, which are adjacent to Delhi.

The bike taxi services in Delhi have been temporarily halted by the Supreme Court, delivering a blow to Ola, Uber, and Rapido. The Supreme Court did not grant relief to Ola, Uber, and Rapido.

In Delhi, bike taxi services cannot operate until further notice. The Supreme Court has stayed the order of the Delhi High Court that allowed bike taxi companies to operate without aggregator licenses until a new policy is formulated. Following this, the Delhi government approached the Supreme Court. However, bike taxi services by Ola, Uber, and Rapido continue to operate in areas adjacent to Delhi, such as Noida and Ghaziabad.

On February 19, 2023, the Delhi government issued a public notice imposing a ban on bike taxis in Delhi. On February 21, the High Court issued a notice seeking reasons for the ban. The Delhi High Court had previously allowed Rapido and Uber to operate non-transport vehicles in Delhi until a new policy was formulated. The High Court stated that no strict action should be taken against bike taxi aggregators and drivers until the Delhi government notifies the necessary rules in the Motor Vehicles Act. Subsequently, the government challenged this order in the Supreme Court.

In the Supreme Court, the advocate representing Uber, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, stated that bike taxis have been operational in several states of India since 2019. He mentioned that there is no ban on bike taxis under the Motor Vehicles Act. Kaul further argued that suddenly banning bike taxis without a policy in place would adversely affect the livelihoods of over 35,000 people in the Delhi-NCR region. The Supreme Court responded that when affected and dissatisfied parties approach the court, their concerns will be considered in this matter.