Bike taxi ban sparks fresh controversy: Complaint filed against Mohandas Pai for supporting service

Bengaluru

The contentious issue of bike taxi services in Karnataka has taken a fresh turn, with prominent entrepreneur and former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai coming under fire for publicly supporting the now-banned service. The Karnataka Private Transport Associations’ Federation has filed a formal police complaint against Pai, accusing him of “provoking” the public in defiance of a High Court order banning bike taxis.

Federation president Nataraj Sharma lodged the complaint at the Vidhana Soudha police station, alleging that Pai’s recent tweet in favour of bike taxis amounts to contempt of court. “Does a globally reputed businessman like Mohandas Pai not understand the law? Despite a High Court ban issued this April, he has tweeted in favour of the service. This is a deliberate attempt to provoke people,” Sharma said in a fiery press statement.

The High Court had earlier quashed permissions for bike taxis in the state, citing regulatory and safety concerns. Following the ruling, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) launched a crackdown on two-wheeler taxi services operating in Bengaluru and other urban areas.

However, the public debate remains intense. Supporters argue that bike taxis offer affordable and accessible last-mile transport solutions in traffic-congested cities. Opponents, especially from autorickshaw and cab driver unions, claim that the services are unregulated, unsafe, and cut into their livelihoods.

Adding to the controversy, some bike taxi riders staged a protest near Vidhana Soudha — despite knowing that demonstrations are only permitted at Freedom Park. “This is a clear violation of the law,” said Sharma. “We’ve not only filed a complaint against Mohandas Pai but also urged the police to act against those staging illegal protests.”