Bike-taxis not allowed, says TN govt RTI reply – The Hindu BusinessLine

Posted On May 12th, 2022, Posted By - Admin

‘Two-wheelers can’t be operated for commercial purposes’ B ike-taxis are not permitted to operate in Tamil Nadu. Two -wheelers cannot be used for commercial purposes, the Public Information Officer in the Commissionerate of Transport said in response to an RTI.

Presently, bike-taxi permits are not issued in Tamil Nadu. Further, two-wheelers are not permitted to be operated for commercial purposes in the State, the official said in response to the RTI seeking details of bike-taxi permits in the State.

However, bike-taxi aggregators like Rapido are operating in the State based on a Madras High Court’s August 2021 judgement. A Division Bench then stayed the operation of an order passed by a single judge restraining Hyderabad-based Roppen Transportation Services from operating its mobile app Rapido in Tamil Nadu until the State government frames regulations for services such as car pooling, bike-taxi and call taxi.

The Centre, in August last year, issued a notification amending the Motor Vehicle Act to allow the use of all types of two-wheelers, including electric vehicles, as transport vehicles. However, the State government is yet to legalise bike-taxis.

To a question in the RTI if the usage of two-wheelers for delivery/commercial purpose and as bike-taxis via apps needs any permit from the Transport Department, the official said that no such permission is given.