The Karnataka government on Wednesday permitted e-bikes to ply for up to 10 km distance in cities across the state as bike taxis. The Karnataka government on Wednesday issued guidelines for e-bike taxi services to operate in the state. The scheme 'Karnataka Electric Bike Scheme 2021' detailed provisions for both taxi aggregator giants like Uber, Rapido, Ola as well as individuals to register an e-bike taxi. The state government, in their guidelines, pointed out that only battery-operated e-bike taxi services will be provided across the urban areas in the state. Additionally, the e-bike taxi will ply for a 10 km distance between the origin and the destination. The e-bike taxis are a solution for last-mile connectivity, the government notification read.
The state has mandated the e-bike taxi service providers to have vehicles painted in the colour ordered by the Transport Department. ‘Electric Bike Taxi’ will be written in bold on the vehicle, and on boards at the front and back, wearing of helmets, riders have to wear reflective jackets, insurance coverage for the rider as well as the passenger were also detailed in the guidelines.
The riders, the government stated, cannot accept passengers who are below 15 years of age. Antecedents of all appointed drivers shall be thoroughly checked by the service provider, the government said.
Discussing the licensing, the government in their guidelines stated that a service provider will have to pay Rs 5,000 as a security deposit while acquiring the licence. Individuals registering for taxi services will be exempted, they noted. The license will be valid for five years from the date of issue, the government said.
Additionally, the government stated that the vehicle shall carry a first aid box, meet emission standards laid by the government, shall not carry dangerous or hazardous goods, have details of the driver painted or affixed on the vehicle, no advertisement display should create disturbance to traffic safety, must be in accordance with State Transport Authority guidelines and distance travelled will be measured based on the odometer installed in the bikes.
The fare will be collected on the basis of distance travelled in two slabs — up to 5 km and above 5 and up to 10 km — as specified by the state government.
Welcoming the government’s move, Aravind Sanka, co-founder of Rapido said, “We appreciate the Karnataka government's decision to let e-bikes register as a commercial bike taxi. This is a long-awaited step in the right direction and will help people utilise their well-earned assets to earn a livelihood. Owing to the successful pilot of electric vehicles in Delhi, this latest development will further help us ramp up our EV services, with the right EV partner, in Bengaluru as well.”
Sanka also noted that the introduction of the scheme can help solve challenges pertaining to traffic congestion and the impact on income due to the pandemic. “We are in talks with the state government to consider bikes as a taxi service and hope to see a similar development on this front as well. Rapido already has the infrastructure and demand from users that could be leveraged towards the cause. We are optimistic regarding bike taxi legality becoming a reality soon,” he added.