Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has provided clarification regarding recent claims of a carpooling ban in Bengaluru. Contrary to media reports, Minister Reddy asserted that carpooling has not been banned in the city.
In a statement to reporters, Minister Reddy challenged the reports, saying, “Who told you we have banned? Show me the document.” He emphasized that using non-commercial private vehicles with white number plates for carpooling is illegal.
He further elaborated that app-based carpooling services are still operational in Bengaluru, with only a few instances resulting in fines for non-compliance.
In response to the ongoing discussions surrounding the issue, Minister Reddy announced that the State government plans to convene a meeting with carpooling aggregators on Tuesday evening to address concerns and seek solutions.
Minister Reddy clarified the distinction between vehicles with white and yellow number plates, stating, “White number plates cannot be used for commercial purposes, whereas yellow number plates can.”
The controversy arose from media reports claiming that the Karnataka government had imposed a ban on carpooling in Bengaluru, following demands from taxi driver associations.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya criticized the Karnataka government’s stance, particularly the differentiation between private white-board vehicles and yellow-board commercial vehicles. He argued that such distinctions fail to grasp the essence of carpooling.
Surya pointed out that many countries, including Singapore, France, and the United States, have introduced exemptions to allow private vehicles for carpooling as a means to address urban congestion. He urged Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to draw inspiration from international best practices and facilitate carpooling in Bengaluru.
Sources By Agencies