The Karnataka Excessive Courtroom on Friday lifted the ban on bike taxi companies within the state, clearing the best way for platforms corresponding to Ola, Uber and Rapido to renew operations, topic to compliance with current transport legal guidelines.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Joshi allowed appeals filed by cab aggregators ANI Applied sciences, which operates Ola, together with Uber and Rapido, setting apart an April 2025 order of a single decide that had directed a halt to bike taxi companies till the state framed particular guidelines governing such operations. The bench held that bikes can be utilized as transport automobiles, supplied they’re registered and operated in accordance with the legislation.

The court docket clarified that bike taxi operators are free to use for registration of two-wheelers as transport automobiles or taxis. Whereas the state authorities is at liberty to look at all related elements whereas contemplating such purposes, registration can’t be refused solely on the bottom that the car is a bike.

The bench added that transport authorities might impose situations as deemed essential underneath legislation, together with these underneath Part 74(2) of the Motor Autos Act. Aggregators had been additionally granted liberty to file recent purposes, which should be thought-about consistent with the court docket’s observations.

The ban had originated from an order handed on April 2, 2025, by single-judge Justice B Shyam Prasad, who directed that each one bike taxi companies in Karnataka be stopped inside six weeks except the state undertook a coverage change and framed guidelines allowing such operations. The deadline was later prolonged following representations from affected operators. Particular person bike taxi drivers and the Bike Taxi Welfare Affiliation subsequently joined the appeals, which had been allowed on Friday.

Throughout the hearings, the Division Bench repeatedly questioned the state authorities over delays in placing a regulatory framework in place and indicated that it was inclined to carry the ban if guidelines weren’t notified inside an affordable timeframe.

The ruling comes as a aid for hundreds of motorcycle taxi riders whose livelihoods had been affected after companies had been suspended in June 2025, when the Excessive Courtroom had earlier declined to remain the federal government’s resolution to implement the ban. Following that order, Ola, Uber and Rapido eliminated bike taxi choices from their apps. Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had then said that aggregators had been required to adjust to the court docket’s instructions, noting {that a} complete of 12 weeks had elapsed because the preliminary order.

The suspension had triggered protests by gig staff throughout the state. Rider our bodies such because the Namma Bike Taxi Affiliation had urged the federal government to rethink the ban, warning that it had severely impacted incomes and every day livelihoods. In a letter written in June to Congress MP and Chief of Opposition within the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the affiliation mentioned that over 1,00,000 gig staff in Bengaluru and different elements of Karnataka had been affected by the blanket ban. Riders had additionally submitted petitions to state ministers in search of authorized recognition for bike taxis and a transparent coverage framework to deal with regulatory uncertainty.

With Friday’s order, bike taxi companies can legally function once more in Karnataka, supplied operators acquire the required licences and adjust to current transport rules.