Bike taxi gaining preference over cabs

HEMA SINGULURI | Hyderabad 

People in the city are now preferring bike taxi to cabs as it is cheaper and the commute faster. Even women, especially working women are opting for bike taxis such as Rapido and Uber Moto. Disha Rungta, 23, working at Go Rural India, Ameerpet, said, 

“I use bike taxi to avoid traffic and get to work faster. Safety is always on my mind, so I check driver ratings and share my trip details with family.”  Echoing  a similar sentiment,  Jahnavi, 25, an IT employee, added, “For me, bike taxis like Rapido or Uber Moto are better when it comes to saving time, money, and ensuring convenience. They can easily navigate through traffic, helping me reach my destination faster than a car or cab in congested areas. From a safety perspective, features like GPS tracking, live location sharing, and ride records within the app provide an added sense of security during travel.” 

Aditya Yewale, 23, a Rapido driver working evenings and night shifts in Madhapur, Hitech City, KPHB, Kukatpally and Nizampet, said women riders often prioritize urgency and affordability. He noted that scooters often get rides nearly five times more than cabs. He added that passengers check details, share rides, and expect professional behavior, urging platforms to strengthen safety systems.

A Reddit user observed: “I have seen many girls using rapido. You can sense it when a girl sitting grabbing handrail as hard they can. Some keep the bag in front. They use it because it's much cheaper, as good as 50 vs 150 to uber in peak hours.”

Platforms and authorities are responding with initiatives like Rapido Bike Pink (women captains), Telangana Police’s T-Safe integration for SOS monitoring, women-first services like She Ride and Women Rider, and Uber’s Women Rider Preference plus optional audio recording features.