India to launch first cooperative-model ride-hailing app Bharat Taxi today

Mumbai, Feb 5: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday will launch Bharat Taxi, India's first ride‑hailing service application based on a co-operative model.

The minister will unveil the application as a government‑backed alternative to established players such as Uber, Ola, and Rapido.

Supported by the Ministry of Cooperation and operated by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited, Bharat Taxi is being promoted as a driver‑owned mobility service that follows a zero‑commission model in its initial phase, with 100 percent 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.

Similar to other aggregators, 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.

In the initial phase, 100 per cent of ride payments will go directly to drivers. At a later stage, the cooperative may retain a fee of around 20 per cent, which it says will be redistributed to drivers in the form of incentives.

Unlike existing platforms, Bharat Taxi plans to avoid surge pricing, although dynamic pricing may be applied in specific situations.

According to the Ministry of Cooperation, over 150 women drivers have joined Bharat Taxi so far.

The app experiences a surge in registrations, with around 40,000 to 45,000 new users signing up every day over the past two days.

According to a post by the Ministry of Cooperation on the social media platform X in January, Bharat Taxi has already crossed four lakh registered customers.

The app available on both Android and iOS was ranked ninth on the Google Play Store and thirteenth on Apple’s App Store.

Safety features also include options to alert emergency contacts, reach a safety team, and activate a siren from within the app.

The sign-up process requires only basic details like a mobile number, name, and email address.

Similar to Ola and Uber, Bharat Taxi plans dedicated pickup and drop zones at airports, with expansion to other transport hubs in the future.

--IANS