Uber seems to have relaunched its bike-taxis in Bengaluru, and the cheap prices have auto drivers crying maleficence.
Story so far: In 2016, after Rapido hit the city streets, Uber and Ola launched their own bike-taxi services. They had to soon shut down shop when the transport department called them out for not having proper permits. Since Monday, however, they have relaunched these services.
- As is expected, the fares for these bike-taxis are far lower than that of an autorickshaw. While this is a boon for the commuter, auto drivers are up in arms.
- Several commuters believe that bike-taxis are exactly what the city needs right now since 66.5% of Bengaluru’s vehicles are two-wheelers.
Auto drivers’ side: According to the Peace Auto and Taxi Drivers Association, letting white board bikes run as a taxi is actually against the law. It removes them from several regulations and taxes as they don’t have yellow boards. The association even held a protest against this at Freedom Park recently.