Bike taxis are likely to be made legal in the cities of Maharashtra and Delhi in the near future as the Ministry of Road Transportation and Highways has issued a clarification saying that motorcycles fall within the definition of contract carriages as per Section 2(7) of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act, 1988.
So far there was no uniformity on the question of legality of bike taxis – While in some states including Goa, Telangana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, bike taxis have been allowed, whereas states like Maharashtra and Delhi had banned them. With this clarification, there will be uniformity with regards to the legality of bike taxis and the service could make a comeback in places that had previously banned them.
That said we cannot say for certain if legalisation will immediately follow in Maharashtra and Delhi as a lot depends on domestic political conditions in both the states, which might constrain the state governments in taking action on this issue.
Bike taxis have several advantages over autos and cabs, the main one being how much more affordable they will be, giving customers a more affordable option for their commuting needs. Another major advantage is the ease with which bike taxis can cut through traffic, which will help commuters get to their destination at a faster rate.
Currently there are two major bike taxi services available in India, Rapido and Uber Moto. Currently Rapido is the industry leader and facilitates over 1 million bike taxi rides per day in India. With the clarification and future legalisation of this medium, we can expect more options to come to the market.
