Ola resumes bike taxi services in Bengaluru today, announces CEO Bhavish Aggarwal
₹25 for 5km and ₹50 for 10km, with plans for nationwide expansion. The company’s co-founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, shared on social media platform X, stating, “Restarting Ola Bike in Blr today. This time, all electric and our own S1 scooters." Bike taxi fares are established at ₹25 for a 5-kilometer ride and ₹50 for a 10-kilometer journey, as mentioned by Bhavish Aggarwal.
“ ₹25 for 5km, ₹50 for 10km. Lowest cost, very comfortable and great for the environment! Will scale across India over next few months," added Aggarwal. Recently, cab and auto associations in Bengaluru have been urging the Karnataka government to enforce a ban on bike taxis within the city, as per HT.
They argue that these bike taxis pose safety concerns for women and contend that their operation with white board registration plates is against the law. Additionally, there have been reported incidents of auto drivers assaulting Rapido bike taxi drivers due to their presence. Reportedly, the government stated that the implementation of a ban on bike taxis would necessitate adherence to legal procedures.
Following the announcement of a Bengaluru bandh by the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association, Karnataka's Transport Minister, Ramalinga Reddy, declared an intention to address and resolve the concerns raised by auto and taxi drivers in the state. Meanwhile, Ola has joined government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to provide food delivery services and is currently visible to a small number of users, Moneycontrol has reported. Sources told Moneycontrol that the company has been testing the feature for more than a month within its app for employees and the small number of consumers for whom it is available.
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