Bengaluru residents are barely coping with the bike-taxi ban

Besides the rising commuting costs, Bengaluru’s bike-taxi ban has led to an 18% increment in traffic congestion. Bike-taxi provided affordable, convenient and fast travel solutions to countless students and working professionals in the city. The latest ban has affected their daily lives in a worse way. The local BMTC buses are not very efficient and don't offer the required coverage for the masses. Even the metro only links a small part of this big city.

No one in the city is a fan of the congested traffic, refused rides and sky-high fares asked by the Bengaluru autorickshaws and cabs. Many residents have raised their voice against this newly emerged inconvenience on social media and in interviews with local news channels. Instead of spending INR 50-100 on a daily commute, students now have to spend INR 300-400 just to cover their daily route on time. Safety for women has also become a rising concern with the bike-taxi ban in Bengaluru. Many have voiced that they feel uncomfortable travelling in crowded buses or cabs at night.

Bengaluru women commuters are even demanding that the Karnataka High Court reconsider the bike-taxi ban in the city to reinstate affordable and safe transportation options for them.

Source: Hindustan Times, Times of India