The Centre has launched Bharat Taxi, India's first cooperative taxi service, created to directly compete with private operators such as Ola and Uber, reported NDTV.
According to NDTV, the initiative was developed under the Union Ministry of Cooperation and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and aims to give drivers full ownership of their earnings while offering passengers a government-supervised alternative to private cab aggregators.
For years, complaints about app-based taxi services have mounted, from unclean vehicles and inflated fares to arbitrary cancellations and sudden price surges. Many drivers have also expressed frustration over high commission rates charged by these companies, often losing up to 25% of their fare revenue.
The new Bharat Taxi platform unlike private aggregators, will not pay any commission on their rides. Instead, they will operate under a membership model, contributing only a nominal daily, weekly, or monthly fee. The government believes this structure will allow drivers to retain a larger share of their earnings.
The pilot phase of Bharat Taxi will begin in November in Delhi, with 650 vehicles and their owner-drivers. If the initiative is a success, then the full-scale rollout is scheduled for December, when the service will expand to other major cities.
Officials told NDTV that 5,000 drivers, both men and women, will take part in the initial nationwide phase. The service will then progressively extend to 20 cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Bhopal, Lucknow and Jaipur, over the following year.
By March 2026, the government aims to establish Bharat Taxi's operations in several metropolitan regions, and by 2030, the platform is expected to include 1 lakh drivers, reaching district headquarters and rural areas.
The platform will be operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd, which was established in June 2025 with an initial capital of Rs 300 crore.
Oversight will rest with a newly constituted governing council, chaired by Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, known for its Amul brand. Rohit Gupta, Deputy Managing Director of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), will serve as Vice Chairman.
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