As despair grows among riders, many fear that the longer the delay is in regulation, the worse their situation will be. | PHOTO CREDIT: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Hundreds of cycling riders via Karnataka say that their livelihood is in crisis after the ongoing intervention of the state government against taxis on the bike. The riders now demand the urgent regulation of the sector and claim that the absence of clear policy has caused many unemployed and tried to meet the goals.
“My phone will not stop ringing, 250 to 300 drivers call me every day and asks what they should do,” said Mohammed Salim, President of the Association of Taxi on the bike. “I don’t know what to tell them. We should lose a living because the government has no policy for taxi bikes? We don’t want chaos. We need regulation, not a ban,” he added.
Last year alone, Karnataka saw over 8 taxi rides on the bike, Mr. Salim pointed out. “We do not ask for kindness, we ask for the right to work legally and safely.”
Ban pushes families into financial distress
For many, the impact of the ban was deeply personal. Imran M., 37, father of two, said he had to borrow money this month to get. “The school of my daughter is asking for fees and I have nothing. I have left to earn enough to support my family. Now we survive at a borrowed time.”
Another rider, Sathish, 26, questioned the double standards of the state government. “Delivery partners can use the same bike to deliver food, but I get a fine for giving someone a ride. Where is the logic in it? Everything I want is to earn an honest life.”
Meanwhile, several drivers on the bikes of the taxi began to move to food and fast trading platforms for trade in an effort to stay. “I started to supply apps for food and a fast shop just two days ago. I work as a bike rider for more than two years and adapting to this new type of work was not easy. It’s physically demanding and the salary is unpredictable.”
Open letters
The Taxi Association wrote a number of open letters to the main minister Siddaraiaiah, the President of the Mallikarjun Kharge Congress and the opposition leader at Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, but the riders say they have to receive the answer.
“It is ironic that the same government passed the draft law on social benefits for concerts last month. And yet they dismantle the sector that provides flexible income to thousands of concert workers throughout the state,” said Mr. Salim.
As despair grows among riders, many fear that the longer the delay is in regulation, the worse their situation will be. Members of the association now require immediate dialogue with the government to create a legal structure that protects both riders and passengers.
Published – June 20, 2025 18:19
