The Karnataka High Court clarified it never allowed bike taxi aggregators like Rapido and Uber to operate, saying: “We have given no orders.” The bench warned the state not to harass individual riders while policy decisions are still pending.
Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court on August 22 clarified that it has not passed any order allowing bike taxi companies, such as Rapido and Uber, to operate in the state.
This clarification came only a day after the two major aggregator apps resumed bike taxi services in Karnataka.
Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty told the High Court that the aggregator companies had restarted their services immediately after the court’s earlier observation questioning the state government’s blanket ban on bike taxis.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi said:
“We have given no orders. If they have started their business, you (state government) can take whatever action you want.”
The Advocate General submitted that he had a duty to inform the court before taking any action. The bench explained that its earlier order was only meant to stop action against individual bike owners and did not apply to the big aggregator companies.
The judges said that since policy decisions were still being considered by the government, the order did not extend to the aggregators.
During the hearing, one of the counsels argued that some individual bike riders were facing problems and that their bikes were seized even after the court’s earlier order.
The Advocate General denied this, after which the bench once again reminded the state authorities:
“Don’t harass individuals.”
The controversy started on August 21, when the High Court had strongly questioned the state government’s complete ban on bike taxi services.
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The court observed:
“Give it a serious thought, there are lives at stake here. Every trade is permissible unless regulated. This (bike taxi) is not res extra commercium.”
The government had told the court that a decision on allowing or regulating bike taxis would be taken at the “highest level”.
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At the same time, the High Court underlined that while it would not interfere in government policy, it still had the power to examine whether the move was lawful. The bench said:
“We don’t have to be satisfied with the policy, only whether it is arbitrary.”
The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on September 22.
CASE TITLE:
Uber India Systems Private Limited vs State of Karnataka.
WA 848/2025, WA 863/2025, WA 906/2025, WA 962/2025, WA 948/2025
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