Cops Act Against Commuters' 'Parcel Yourself’ Ploy To Skirt Rapido, Uber Bike Taxi Ban In Karnataka

In an unexpected workaround to the state-imposed ban on bike taxis, popular mobility apps like Rapido and Uber have rebranded their services under the guise of “bike parcel” deliveries — a move that has caught the attention of both commuters and regulators.

After a Karnataka High Court directive that deemed bike taxi operations illegal, these companies swiftly altered their offerings. Rapido removed the “bike taxi” booking option for users in Karnataka, introducing a “bike parcel” alternative. Uber mirrored the tactic by launching “Moto Parcel,” while Ola has gone a step further, pulling its bike service entirely from the platform in the state.

What’s drawing attention, however, is how these parcel services are reportedly being used by actual passengers — not packages. Commuters are said to be booking rides as "parcels," effectively treating the workaround as a replacement for the now-banned bike taxis, as per a report on NDTV.

Bengaluru Bike Taxi Ban: Social Media Reacts 

Social media lit up with commentary. One user on X joked, "Rapido and Uber made a Bike Parcel option to bypass the Bike Taxi ban. Now you can book a Bike Parcel/Moto Courier and parcel yourself to the selected destination 😂🤣."

But while the workaround has gained public favor among frustrated commuters battling Bengaluru’s daily gridlocks, the government isn’t amused.

103 Bikes Seized

On the first day of enforcement, June 16, Karnataka's transport department seized over 100 vehicles operating in violation of the ban. According to official records, the highest number of seizures came from the West Bengaluru RTO and Electronics City, with 16 and 15 vehicles seized respectively, reported Money Control.

State authorities have vowed to continue the crackdown, indicating that attempts to skirt the ban — parcel service or not — may be short-lived.

Public Outcry

Meanwhile, the public outcry is growing. Many users took to X to express frustration over rising auto fares. A X user said, "After Karnataka High Court Banned Bike Taxis Like Rapido. Its Very Difficult To Travel In Bengaluru. Same distance I have travelled with 65 to 75 fare in bike taxi. Now in auto it's showing 117 to 165 this is not useful for daily usage. We need bike taxi back @CMofKarnataka"

states