Uber Introduces "Moto Women," a Women-Only Bike Taxi Service, in Bengaluru

Nitin Konde, Varun Bhardwaj

Dec 14, 2024 — 2 min read

Uber Launches 'Moto Women': A Bike Taxi Service for Women in Bengaluru

Uber launched Uber Moto Women, a first-of-its-kind service that provides bike rides only for women, in Bengaluru on 13 December. The business intends to expand into additional major cities, including Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. The on-demand two-wheeler ride service is intended to meet the safety and mobility demands of women by matching female drivers with female passengers.

This is the first global project for Uber. Nowhere else in the world do you find such things exclusively for ladies. Since Bengaluru is the biggest market for bike taxis, Uber began there. About a million riders and 100,000 drivers are served by the city's 5 million bike-taxi journeys every month across all platforms. Uber India and South Asia's Head of Regional Business Operations, Abhishek Padhye.

In Bengaluru, last-mile transportation is extremely scarce. Uber discovered that 30% of its female users were already using bike taxis. In addition to providing women with a safer and more convenient travel alternative, "Uber Moto Women gives female drivers the chance to work flexibly in one of India's fastest-growing mobility markets," Padhye said.

Service is Crafted After Receiving Feedback from Women Riders

Uber Moto Women, which was created in response to input from female drivers and passengers, provides a simple, cost-effective, and safe commute choice for women who would rather travel with female drivers or passengers.

In metropolitan India, bike taxis are one of the modes of transportation that is expanding the fastest. In 2022, more than 280 million bike taxi rides were made across platforms, per a KPMG analysis titled "Unlocking the Potential of Bike Taxis in India." Bengaluru is one of the biggest bike taxi marketplaces in the nation, with over a million rides every month. Furthermore, 65–70% of bike taxi trips accommodate first- and last-mile connectivity, underscoring the significance of these modes of transportation in enhancing public transportation.

Uber faces competition from companies like Namma Yatri, Ola, and Rapido. Since two-wheelers with white license plates are prohibited from operating commercially under the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rules, the government has contested the legitimacy of bike taxis, creating regulatory obstacles for the state's mobility companies.

Operating Under High Court’s Stay Order

The Karnataka transport authorities took action against Uber-affiliated bike taxis in Bengaluru in November, citing regulations that prohibited two-wheeler taxis. According to experts, Bengaluru's bike taxis are protected by a stay order from the High Court.

In order to determine the best regulatory framework, all of the aggregators are actually working together and constructively with the authorities. "There is a real need in the market, and we are working with the government," Padhye said, referring to the approximately one million riders and 100,000 drivers who use bike taxis.