New Delhi, May 3 -- 'Oh what a tangled web they weave, when babus set out to micromanage!' - (With apologies to Sir Walter Scott)

The Karnataka government is tying itself in knots over its decision to ban two-wheeler motorcycles and scooters as taxis, popularly known as bike taxis. And it has only itself to blame for the current mess-even as the livelihoods of an estimated 150,000 bike taxi operators and the daily commutes of lakhs of citizens hang in the balance.

Read this | Mint Primer | Bumpy: Impact of Karnataka High Court ban on bike taxis

Earlier this week, the Karnataka High Court, in an interim order, stayed the implementation of its own directive issued earlier this month banning bike taxis from operating in the state. The cou...