Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Monday denied reports of the government imposing a ban on carpooling in the state. He clarified that clarified that carpooling is illegal only for privately owned vehicles with white number plates and said that commercial Vehicles with yellow number plates can be used for carpooling by following appropriate guidelines.
'Carpooling is not banned'
“Carpooling is not banned, it is false news. First, let them take permission. When they have not taken the permission where is the question of banning? Everyone should follow the rules and regulations. It is illegal to use non-commercial private vehicles with white number plates for carpooling purposes. Commercial Vehicles with yellow number plates can be used for carpooling by following appropriate guidelines”, the minister said in a post on X.
Earlier, the Karnataka government had implemented a ban on carpooling and encouraged commuters not to use carpooling apps. The state government declared the use of whiteboard vehicles for commercial commuting purposes as "illegal" and established fines that vary from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for those found operating carpooling services.
Taxi associations have expressed concerns that carpooling services are negatively affecting their daily earnings.
Tejasvi Surya Surya writes to Karnataka CM
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tejasvi Surya urged the Karnataka government to reconsider the ban on carpooling in Bengaluru and said that the decision would lead to extreme traffic congestion in the IT city. In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he urged to review its ban on carpooling and also asked the government to make necessary legislative changes in the city.
"Ride-sharing and carpooling are immediate and suitable remedies to ease the mobility crisis to a certain extent," he said.
He said Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, are "outdated and insufficient to meet the needs of the present day."
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