Centre says no law defining bike taxis, States may regulate them under 2025 guidelines

The Union government has clarified that “bike taxis” are not defined under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and, therefore, do not have a distinct legal status under Central law.

In response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha on March 18, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that while the term is not recognised under a statute, the Centre has issued the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, which provide a framework for State governments to regulate aggregators, including those involving two-wheeler taxis.

The guidelines permit State governments to allow aggregation of transport and non-transport motorcycles for passenger journeys as part of shared mobility systems. According to the government, this may help reduce congestion and pollution while improving affordability and generating livelihood opportunities.

The Centre stated that it does not maintain specific data on bike taxis. Instead, it relies on Vahan database figures for registered two-wheeler transport vehicles, which stood at 16,736 in 2023, 19,509 in 2024, 20,111 in 2025 and 1,706 up to January 2026.

Accident data is also not maintained separately for bike taxis, the response stated. The Ministry shared aggregate figures for all two-wheelers, which show that total accidents increased from 43,922 in 2023 to 51,521 in 2025, with total persons involved rising to 1,69,641 in 2025.

The government further noted that enforcement of transport and road safety rules falls within the jurisdiction of State governments and Union Territories.

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