The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday extended the deadline for bike taxi operators, including Rapido, to cease operations in the State until June 15, granting temporary relief from its earlier directive issued on April 2.

In its April 2 order, Justice B Shyam Prasad had directed all bike taxi services in Karnataka to stop functioning within six weeks, unless the State government introduced a policy and regulatory framework to permit such operations. The original six-week deadline was set to expire in May.

On Tuesday, several affected operators, including Rapido's parent company Roppen Transportation Services, along with OLA and Uber—both seeking entry into the bike taxi sector—requested the Court to extend the timeline.

Roppen, in an application filed the previous day, informed the Court that it had submitted representations to various State authorities and engaged in discussions with officials, urging the government to introduce a comprehensive policy for bike taxi operations.

The company noted that such a policy could improve last-mile connectivity, ease traffic congestion, and promote sustainable urban mobility. It also emphasized that Karnataka has an opportunity to take the lead in modernizing transport systems through this initiative.

Crucially, Roppen highlighted the impact on approximately six lakh bike taxi drivers, whose livelihoods would be at risk if the April 2 directive were enforced without policy clarity.

The State government, represented by Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, confirmed that it is actively considering a policy framework. Senior Advocate Arun Kumar appeared for OLA, Srinivas Raghavan represented Uber, and Advocate Nishant AV represented Rapido.

After considering the submissions, the Court agreed to extend the deadline until June 15, providing all stakeholders additional time to arrive at a viable regulatory solution.