Bengaluru Traffic Worsens After Bike Taxi Ban, Riders Demand Reversal

Traffic in Bengaluru has increased a lot since the government banned bike taxis on June 16. This ban has caused problems for many people.

TomTom, a company from the Netherlands that tracks traffic, said traffic during busy times has gone up. For example, at 7 pm, traffic used to be about 59% heavy but jumped to 77% on the day the ban started. Two days later, it reached 83%.

Many people who used bike taxis now use their own vehicles or autos. This adds more cars to the roads and makes traffic worse.

Auto drivers have also raised their fares and refuse rides more often during busy hours. This makes travel expensive and hard for many people.

Bike taxi drivers, who lost their jobs because of the ban, have protested. Over 100 riders asked the Karnataka Health Minister and a local MLA to let bike taxis work legally again. They want clear rules so they are not treated unfairly.

The riders also sent letters to top leaders but got no response. They say the government’s new law to help gig workers does not help them now.

If the ban stays, many people could lose their jobs and the city may face bigger travel problems.