Overview

• A division bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru called the blanket prohibition legally untenable and flagged potential violations of Articles 14 and 19(1)(g).
• The court stressed that a legitimate trade cannot be treated as illegal due to an absence of rules and noted that 13 states already regulate bike taxis.
• Rapido and Uber restarted bike taxi services in Bengaluru after the hearing, while the Karnataka government said the resumption violates court orders as no explicit permission was granted.
• Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty told the court the issue will be considered at the highest level, even as he cited congestion concerns and referenced the Delhi precedent.
• Services had been halted since June 16 under a single-judge order, affecting an estimated six lakh drivers and last-mile commuters, with reports of higher fares and disrupted connectivity.