Five Karnataka auto, taxi driver bodies move Supreme Court against HC verdict permitting bike taxis

Five auto and taxi driver associations in Karnataka have moved the Supreme Court against a Karnataka High Court verdict permitting bike taxis in the State.

They have challenged the January 23 judgment directing the State to consider applications for registering motorcycles as transport vehicles and granting permits to operate them as contract carriages. The petition has also been filed by an individual driver, Sathish KS.

The five associations are Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Auto Chalakara Sanghatane, Karnataka Venkategowda Auto Mathu Taxi Chalakara Sangha, Greater Bangalore Chalakara Sangha, Karnataka Sarathigala Mahasangha and Jai Karnataka Sarathi Sene Trust.

An individual driver, Sathish KS, has also filed a separate petition.

According to their plea, the High Court effectively created a regulatory pathway for bike taxis in a field that falls within the domain of the State government and statutory transport authorities

A constitutional court cannot compel the State to create or implement a particular transport policy to suit the business interests of aggregators, the plea has contended.

A key ground in the plea concerns the impact on existing auto-rickshaw and taxi operators.

As per the plea, around 1.5 lakh auto-rickshaw drivers, taxi permit holders and other regulated operators in Bengaluru could be affected if bike taxis are permitted without a comparable regulatory framework.

Such operators are already subject to permit conditions, fitness norms, insurance requirements, taxation, fare regulation and licensing requirements. Allowing a competing category without similar safeguards, they argue, would raise concerns over regulatory parity, it has been contended.

The plea also relies on a 2019 expert committee report that was against permitting bike taxis in Bengaluru on grounds including road safety, congestion, road-space efficiency and emissions.

The Government of Karnataka has also filed an appeal against the order of the High Court. The plea is yet to be heard at length.

The petition was filed through advocate K Shiva.