Bike taxis are operating in some major cities in our country. Bike taxi service is also operating in Coimbatore.
Those who want part-time work and need cash join their own two-wheelers with private companies and operate as bike taxi drivers.
If we register the place we want to go through the cell phone app, they will pick us up at our place and drop us off at the place we want to go.
Bike taxi fares are much less than car taxi and auto hire. If it costs 300 rupees to travel in an auto, a bike taxi will not even cost 100 rupees. But in case of an accident, bike taxi passengers do not get accident insurance.
The most affected by these bike taxis are the auto commuters. All bike taxis are currently operated by private individuals without proper permits.
Tamilnadu government has not given any permission. The traffic department and the police department take action and impose fines from time to time. In May alone, 34 bike taxis were seized in Coimbatore and a fine of Rs 10,000 was charged each.
The number of users of bike taxis is increasing significantly more than expected due to low fares, fast travel, easy to bypass traffic jams etc.
Transport Minister Sivasankar, who came to Coimbatore yesterday, has categorically stated that the Tamil Nadu government has not given permission to bike taxis and there is no possibility of allowing them.
What should the government do? Bike taxi operation should be regularized and allowed. At the same time, the government should also take into consideration that the public has become accustomed to using bike taxis. It is a legitimate demand of the public that the operation of bike taxis should be regularized and permitted.
Tamilnadu government can think!