Bike Taxis: Gadkari Pushes Legalisation, Negative Points for Violators

Union minister Nitin Gadkari urged states to allow bike taxis, claiming the sector could create eight crore jobs, and announced a negative-point licence system for traffic violations under an amended Motor Vehicles Act. The negative-point system will suspend or cancel licences for repeat offenders, targeting habitual violators rather than one-off mistakes. Gadkari also launched Suraksha, a pilot offering free medical screenings to highway and mining workers, linking health issues directly to road safety. Bike taxis cost Rs 8-10 per km versus Rs 15-25 for autos and cabs, driving commuter demand. City status varies widely: Delhi bans them, Bengaluru and Mumbai legalised them after court battles, while Bhopal faces enforcement gaps with most bikes lacking commercial plates.