Ola is reportedly luring riders to enrol themselves on the platform for its bike-taxi service with salary promises of up to Rs 70,000 per month, according to a report by Moneycontrol.
The Bengaluru-based mobility company re-introduced its bike-taxi service in Bengaluru last month, even as ride-hailing companies and the Karnataka government are fighting it out in court over the legality of the service. Riders would use the S1 scooter, Ola’s own electric vehicle, according to Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Ola.
The firm is also renting out electric scooters for a security deposit of Rs 5,000 from those who want to enrol themselves as e-bike taxi riders, according to the report.
Customers would be charged Rs 25 for 5 km and Rs 50 for 10 km, Aggarwal said last month, adding that the service would be scaled across the country over the next few months.
Ola’s latest service would not be facing any legal challenges, as the Karnataka government has framed a policy on bike-taxis, which allows electric vehicles to ply.
In recent months, the Delhi government has started cracking down on non-electric bike taxis. State governments across India differ on their stance with regard to bike-taxis, with some states such as Telangana allowing bike-taxis running on petrol to ply.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled that two-wheeler taxis cannot operate in Delhi until a policy is put into place, causing a big blow to bike-taxi aggregators including Ola, Uber and Rapido.
Edited by Suman Singh
