Hubballi: File special leave petition against High Court order allowing bike taxis, say driver unions to government

Indian Vehicle Drivers Trade Union, Snehajeevi Drivers’ Trade Union, and Towner Driver Foundation have urged the State government to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the High Court order allowing operation of bike taxis in the State.

Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on February 19, president of Snehajeevi Drivers Trade Union N.G. Santosh Kumar said that allowing unauthorised bike taxis will not only endanger public safety but also increase the number of road accidents. It will also severely impact the livelihood of licenced auto and taxi drivers who pay taxes.

He said that they also had launched a letter campaign under which thousands of letters had been to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in the matter.

Raghu Yadav, CEO of Towner Driver Foundation, said that the government had failed to take necessary action to protect taxi and auto drivers in Karnataka. He stated that over seven lakh drivers in the State had contributed more than ₹14,000 crore in GST and were burdened with bank loans. The government had not provided adequate social security to safeguard their livelihoods, he added.

He argued that drivers should not be classified as gig workers but recognised as small business owners who invest nearly ₹10 lakh in vehicles, pay about ₹2.5 lakh in taxes, and support the automobile sector.

He also demanded region-wise fare regulation, strict enforcement of government rates, separate airport parking zones for independent drivers, special health insurance schemes, and recognition of drivers as small traders. Office bearers of drivers associations Gandasi Sadanandaswami, Raghu Yadav, Srinivas Babu, Jagadish, Malatesh Kalal and Mujahid Khan were present.