Government launching Bharat Taxi: Fair rides, driver welfare and passenger safety

New Delhi: The Indian government is planning to introduce a new ride-hailing service, Bharat Taxi, that would offer a more reasonable and transparent alternative to the current services of private cabs. The service will be led by the Ministry of Cooperation, which will deliver on its promise to focus on the welfare of the drivers by providing complete ride profits, insurance cover, and other income-generating opportunities. It is likely to be rolled out in the next few months, and there is already a beta version in some parts of the state, like Delhi and Gujarat.

Amit Shah, Union Cooperation Minister, at a recent conference held by Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited in Panchkula, confirmed the launch. He emphasised that Bharat Taxi will help in resolving the ancient complaints of the cab drivers, especially the unfair percentage of earnings the company has to spend on the private taxi aggregators. All the profit will be allocated to our driver brothers, as Shah put it, and it is important to note that the government pays much attention to the financial stability and well-being of drivers.

Bharat Taxi is a driver-first platform, unlike other currently available ride-hailing applications. The service is run by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, supported by such widely known cooperatives as Amul, IFFCO, and NABARD, and is intended to remove intermediaries, giving total income to the drivers. Besides ride-ticket fees, the drivers will have a chance to earn additional money by using in-vehicle advertisements, which are likely to secure a great number of sign-ups. In a few days of the announcement, more than 51,000 drivers are said to have registered for the service.

Passengers will be guaranteed an open and trustworthy ride experience. Bharat Taxi will reduce or avoid surge pricing that is a prevalent challenge on the private platform and have real-time vehicle tracking. The app will also be in support of ride-sharing notifications to friends and family, 24x7 customer care, and a high level of safety. The verification of drivers will be rigorous, and there might be collaboration of law enforcement agencies like the Delhi Police. Potential collaboration with such sites as DigiLocker can make it easier to verify documents and onboard.

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The introduction of Bharat Taxi will be the first significant step of the government into the world of ride-hailing services, and the introduction will be associated with responsiveness to the interests of drivers and a comfortable passenger experience. It would transform the taxi landscape in India and provide an alternative to personal aggregators that are competitive, should it succeed.