Karnataka lifts six-month ban on Ola, returns as usual

Bengaluru, Mar 24: In a relief to thousands of cab drivers, owners and users, the suspension of license of Ola cabs for six months by the transport authority in Bengaluru has been revoked.

State capital and technology hub Bengaluru is among Ola's top three markets in India.

In a tweet on Saturday evening, Karnataka's Minister for Social Welfare, Priyank Kharge, said, "@Olacabs will run their business as usual from today. However there is an urgent need for policies to catch-up with new technologies & also industries too should work closer with Govt to help evolve policies for innovations."

The Minister also pointed out in his tweet the the need for government policies to policies to catch up with new technologies and keep up with innovation.

On Friday, March 22, Karnataka had issued a notice to suspend Ola's licence for six months for violating government rules by running motorcycle taxis which are not allowed for safety reasons.

VP Ikkeri, state commissioner for transport and road safety, had told reporters the department had seized and issued fines for about 258 bikes during a probe after complaints.

Ola's permit, obtained in 2017 and valid to 2021, allows it to run three and four-wheeler taxis in Karnataka. The company, backed by SoftBank Group Corp and Tencent Holdings Ltd, has until Monday to respond to the suspension notice.