Bharat Taxi crosses 21 lakh users: Amit Shah

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the cooperative-led ride-hailing platform Bharat Taxi has recorded 21.34 lakh registered users and 2.31 lakh drivers as of March 1, marking steady early growth since its launch.

Bharat Taxi, backed by eight national cooperative institutions, was officially launched on February 5 as a homegrown alternative to private ride-hailing aggregators. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Shah said the platform aims to empower drivers through a cooperative ownership model while offering transparent and affordable services to commuters.

Currently, Bharat Taxi operates in key urban centres across Delhi-NCR—including Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad—and in Gujarat cities such as Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Somnath, and Dwarka. The government plans a phased expansion into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with the goal of extending services down to the tehsil level over the next three years.

A key highlight of the platform is its zero-commission model, ensuring that drivers—referred to as “Sarathis”—receive the full fare without deductions typically charged by private aggregators. The initiative is designed to provide better income security and promote cooperative participation among drivers.

The platform offers a range of features including transparent fare structures, real-time vehicle tracking, multilingual interfaces, and a user-friendly mobile booking system. It also provides round-the-clock customer support for both passengers and drivers.

To strengthen its ecosystem, Bharat Taxi has signed agreements with institutions for digital payments, banking, financial services, and insurance coverage for drivers. Additionally, the ‘Sarthi Didi’ feature has been introduced to encourage women’s participation as drivers while enhancing safety for women passengers by enabling women-only ride options.

Safety measures such as SOS alerts and live location sharing have also been integrated. The platform is further exploring passenger engagement features, including a voluntary tipping option for drivers, aimed at improving driver welfare and service quality.