Karnataka Allows E-Bike Taxi Services for Travel Upto 10 km, Individuals Can Register Too

Karnataka's transport department has approved the operation of an electric bike (e-bike) taxi services as a mode of transportation in the state. According to authorities, the government has agreed to enable people to register an e-bike as a taxi, with each individual having the choice of registering with an aggregator or operating independently.

A senior official from the Department of Transport told The Indian Express that e-bike taxis would initially be introduced in Bengaluru and then spread to other cities throughout the state. As per the company, e-bike taxis would function as feeder services for Metro and city bus services. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is expected to announce the complete set of guidelines on Wednesday.

Furthermore, the government is likely to authorize e-bike taxi services only if each vehicle is equipped with GPS and prominently displays the words "bike taxi." Other requirements that e-bike taxi companies will be required to follow include insurance coverage for both the rider and the customer, as well as the wearing of helmets.

Meanwhile, mobility expert Ashish Verma believes the government's decision to approve the approach is an intriguing one. He feels that for such services to serve their function, close surveillance of these journeys, compliance of traffic and safety laws, and observation of how such excursions would help the government accomplish the final objective of acting as feeder services must be ensured

Ashish praised the government's decision to allow only electric bikes for such services since it addressed emissions concerns, but he emphasized accident statistics in the city that show two-wheelers are involved in roughly 45 percent of all traffic incidents. He further stated that in Bengaluru, riding behaviours much like cutting corners, walking on sidewalks, and lateral and longitudinal movement on highways are constantly a source of worry. The procedures in place to ensure that GPS data is gathered and analysed, as well as that journeys do not exceed 10 kilometers, are also critical.

Likewise, other aggregators such as Rapido, Ola, and Uber are expected to re-enter the bike taxi market, where they formerly operated with fuel-powered two-wheelers.

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