Amid persevering with uncertainty over bike taxi companies in Karnataka, Rapido has introduced the launch of ‘Rapido Bike Direct’, a lead-generation service that connects bike taxi captains straight with verified prospects with out charging any fee. The corporate mentioned the service is being supplied fully freed from value within the state, enabling captains to earn a livelihood with no industrial obligations or monetary deductions.
The state Transport Division has, nevertheless, mentioned it plans to take motion towards the aggregator on this regard.
In the meantime, Ola and Uber have already exited the bike taxi market in Karnataka, leaving Rapido as the one main participant trying to maintain the service. The transfer comes at a time when lakhs of motorcycle taxi drivers are struggling with out work, and business associations have repeatedly appealed for entry to app-based platforms that assist them function legally and join with commuters.
Based on Rapido, the brand new mannequin is designed to assist gig employees, providing them a gentle earnings alternative whereas passengers profit from protected, dependable, and inexpensive each day journey. The zero-commission mannequin was restricted to autorickshaws and cabs till final Saturday.
‘Solely searching for to work with dignity’
Adi Narayan, president of the Bike Taxi Welfare Affiliation, welcomed the announcement, calling it a much-needed aid for drivers. “For lakhs of motorcycle taxi drivers in Karnataka, the launch of Rapido Bike Direct is nothing in need of a lifeline. With zero fee, captains can lastly earn their each day bread with out worrying about deductions,” he mentioned.
He added that drivers have been left with no unbiased strategy to function, making platforms like Rapido important for survival. “We aren’t asking for charity, just for the possibility to work with dignity. With out entry to app expertise, drivers haven’t any strategy to join with prospects or observe rules. This initiative provides us hope when every thing else feels unsure.”
Nevertheless, the authorized scenario round bike taxi companies within the state stays difficult. Final Friday, the Karnataka Excessive Court docket clarified that it has not handed any order permitting aggregators to renew operations. Showing earlier than a division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi, Advocate Common Shashi Kiran Shetty knowledgeable the courtroom that sure aggregator platforms had restarted bike taxi companies quickly after the courtroom’s instructions on Wednesday.
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Throughout a listening to within the matter on Wednesday, the judges had pulled up the federal government for imposing a whole ban moderately than regulating the service. “Right this moment, even e-bikes aren’t allowed. A whole official commerce is prohibited. As long as you might be allowing a service, you may regulate it. The query is whether or not regulation would entail full prohibition?” it noticed.
The courtroom additionally directed the federal government to consider the matter critically and determine on framing a motorcycle taxi coverage.
On Friday, the bench mentioned, “We have now given no orders. If they’ve began their enterprise, you may take no matter motion you need.” The courtroom reiterated that its earlier course solely restrained the state from taking coercive steps towards particular person riders, not aggregator corporations.
Transport dept collects particulars of violations
Yogeesh A M, Transport Commissioner, additionally confirmed that aggregators had not complied with the courtroom’s directive. “Aggregators didn’t adjust to the courtroom’s course even after it was made very clear that they weren’t allowed to renew bike taxi companies. We have now collected sufficient materials on the violation. We plan to take motion towards the aggregators,” he mentioned.
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Rapido relaunching its bike taxi companies has introduced aid to many commuters who felt mobility in Bengaluru has develop into costly, particularly after the rise in autorickshaw fares and Bengaluru Metro ticket fares.
Prajna Hebbar, a working skilled, mentioned, “Bike taxis have been my go-to choice for short-distance rides for a quicker commute. Autorickshaws typically value 3 instances increased than bike taxis, which helps the working class and college students lower your expenses. Nevertheless, we want to see strict insurance policies and rules by aggregators by way of the security of passengers, as we’ve witnessed a couple of mishaps previously.”
In the meantime, Rapido’s newest monetary filings spotlight the corporate’s sharp development trajectory regardless of persevering with losses. The Bengaluru-based bike taxi platform reported revenues of Rs 695.3 crore within the 2024-25 monetary 12 months, up from Rs 497.5 crore in 2023-24 — marking a 40 per cent year-on-year development and a twelve-fold bounce in comparison with 2020-21. Losses, nevertheless, remained important, although they narrowed: after widening to Rs 674.6 crore in 2023-24, Rapido trimmed its web loss to Rs 370.7 crore in 2024-25.