New Delhi: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform, after a successful two-month pilot operation, saying that the service will be rolled out across the country in the next three years.
Bharat Taxi has been initially launched in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat and will be expanded across all states and Union Territories within two years. Profits will be shared with drivers associated with Bharat Taxi. Customers can hail cars, three-wheelers and two-wheelers through the digital platform.
HM Shah said at an event here that “in three years, Bharat Taxi will be rolled out across the country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Dwarka to Kamakhya”.
“I said that when this cooperative taxi initiative began, we did not realise how big it would become, but in the coming years it will grow across the country and benefit taxi drivers,” HM Shah told the gathering.
“I clarified that the government is not entering the taxi sector; this is a cooperative initiative, and the taxi drivers themselves are its owners. I emphasised that every driver associated with this cooperative taxi will have ownership, and it will work for their welfare,” he added.
Bharat Taxi is being promoted as a driver owned mobility service that follows a zero commission model in its initial phase, with 100 per cent of ride payments going directly to drivers.
The Ministry of Cooperation said the platform will free drivers, referred to as Sarathis, from exploitative aggregator-based models. The minimum fare for up to 4 km is Rs 30; 4-12 km at Rs 23 per km, and rides beyond 12 km are priced at Rs 18 per km.
Bharat Taxi also integrates with public transit services such as the Metro, allowing users to plan and complete journeys involving multiple modes of transport through a single app. Unlike existing platforms, Bharat Taxi plans to avoid surge pricing, although dynamic pricing may be applied in specific situations.
The app, available on both Android and iOS, was ranked ninth on the Google Play Store and 13th on Apple’s App Store. The sign-up process requires only basic details like a mobile number, name, and email address.
(IANS)
