Why government bans app-based bike taxis in Delhi?

The Delhi government has banned bike taxi services run by app-based aggregators like Ola, Uber, and Rapido. Bike taxis became very popular in the capital Delhi and surrounding regions after the pandemic. Riders earning extra money by driving bike taxis will be affected by this decision taken by the government.

Why Govt. took this decision?

According to the Transport Ministry, plying a personal bike as a taxi is a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, of 1988. There is no provision in the current rules to ply the bike on the road as a taxi.

Rules for cabs in Motor Vehicle Act 1988-

• Registration has to be done for cab service and a yellow number plate has to be installed
• Police verification is done after which the PSV badge is given
• behavioral session conducted for the driver
• It is very important to install panic buttons for the safety of women.

None of this is available in bike taxis.

Violators of the rules will be fined Rs 5,000 initially with a show cause notice and Rs 10,000 for the second violation. A 1 lakh fine will be imposed for not stopping bike taxi service by app-based cab aggregators.

Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot has informed by tweeting that new rules will be implemented soon for app-based aggregators.

Benefits of bike taxi service

Bike taxis became very popular in the NCR region after the pandemic. Because it is cheaper than cabs and autos. If a person has to travel a distance of 8 km, his bill for cabs and autos is up to Rs 150, while in a bike taxi, he can do the same journey for Rs 80-90.

Bike taxis are not only cost-effective for a single person, but are also convenient to commute in Delhi's traffic and narrow lanes.

Bike taxis have also become a means of earning extra money for many people. Many people do this work part-time by registering their bike as a taxi on Uber, Ola, and Rapido, which earns them up to 10-30 thousand rupees a month. Many people take passengers on their way to the office and some earn extra money.

For such people, the decision taken by the government is like a shock.

Many bike taxi riders say that it is not right to fine us, and the government should take action against these apps.

What are the dangers of bike taxis?

• Safety is the biggest risk in bike taxis. Since these riders do not have police verification, it can be difficult to trace the rider after an incident.
• Bike taxi is not safe for women, it does not have a facility like a panic button.
• It is not possible to identify the bikes plying like taxis on roads.

In the coming time, the government can make rules for bike taxis, which will make it easier to regulate them.

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