Carpooling in Karnataka: No fines, but ride-sharing apps may need licence
Carpooling apps in Bengaluru as well as in other cities across Karnataka must register with the transport department and operate under the state’s regulations, transport minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Monday. The minister refuted media reports that his department was planning to levy fines on car owners using the carpooling app in the state capital.
Bengaluru has an estimated two million people employed in the technology, startup and BPO sectors for thousands of whom carpooling is a preferred option to get around in the traffic-laden city.
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However, “ there is no question of levying fines against people who use them (carpooling apps),”he clarified.
Once the carpooling apps operating in the city such as BlaBlaCar, Quickride, and Rideshare register with state transport authorities, they will come under the ambit of The Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, and “may be allowed to operate with a licence,” he added.
The minister is meeting a group of carpool app aggregators on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
A new policy would go a long way in eliminating any ambiguity about the cost sharing aspect of
