ON JUNE 16, THE GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA banned app-based bike taxi services such as Rapido and Uber Moto, citing safety concerns, regulatory confusion, and pressure from traditional transport unions. Framed as a necessary move to protect public interest, the ban instantaneously disrupted the livelihoods of thousands of gig workers who rely on the flexibility and accessibility of platform-based driving jobs.
This regulatory action was not unprecedented. Indian states have long responded inconsistently to the rise of gig economy transport services. While the judiciary occasionally intervenes to clarify the legal standing of these services, state governments continue to oscillate between tolerance and prohibition. These stopgap measures are indicative of a deeper policy vacuum in India, one that has failed to reconcile the growing prevalence of app-based labour with the formal frameworks of labour law and public safety.
A parallel and equally contentious debate, interestingly, is unfolding in Brazil, particularly in the city of São Paulo. In May 2025, a São Paulo state court issued a ban on motorcycle taxi services offered through platforms like Uber Moto and 99, citing safety concerns following fatal accidents. The court ruled that platforms were operating illegally, in violation of municipal rules that bar motorcycle-based passenger services.
This was not São Paulo’s first confrontation with platform-based mototáxis. As early as 2023, the city had introduced a municipal ban, prompting legal battles and defiance from major platforms. Uber and 99 argued that federal transport law permitted motorcycle services, challenging the legitimacy of local prohibitions. The situation led to a jurisdictional standoff between city authorities and platform companies, similar in many ways to what Bengaluru faced in dealing with bike taxis.
