Following Karnataka’s decision to ban bike taxi services, a wave of anxiety swept through thousands of gig workers across the state who depend on private two-wheelers for food, grocery, and parcel deliveries through platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, and Flipkart.
This concern was further heightened by a recent advisory issued on June 10 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), which raised safety concerns over the commercial use of private two-wheelers for transporting goods and passengers.
According to MoRTH, using privately registered vehicles for business purposes can lead to several complications, including lack of commercial insurance, legal ambiguities in registration, and increased traffic congestion. The ministry advised all states and union territories to take appropriate regulatory measures.
With Karnataka already enforcing a ban on bike taxis, the central advisory added fuel to the uncertainty. Gig workers, who rely on personal motorcycles for daily delivery operations, feared that even food and parcel delivery could now be at risk of being deemed illegal.
This sparked widespread concern that thousands of gig workers might lose their only source of income, potentially impacting startup growth, employment generation, and the broader gig economy.
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Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s Clarification:
Amid mounting frustration from delivery partners, Karnataka’s Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy issued a clear statement to address the confusion.
He explained, “Our ban applies solely to bike taxi services — that is, the transportation of passengers using private bikes. It does not affect food delivery or parcel delivery operations.”
This clarification comes as a major relief to gig workers associated with Swiggy, Zomato, and similar platforms, who had been left uncertain about the legal status of their everyday delivery work.
By reaffirming that delivery jobs remain unaffected, the state government has helped defuse fears and restore some confidence among India’s rapidly expanding gig workforce.