Bharat Taxi rolls out ₹10 lakh insurance, lucrative earnings for drivers

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu) : Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will launch the Bharat Tax app on Thursday. It is India's first cooperative ride-hailing service app. The government aims to provide passengers with a cheaper alternative to cab hailing apps like Uber, Ola, and Rapido.

Bharat Taxi, supported by the Ministry of Cooperation and operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, is being promoted as a driver-owned transport service that will operate on 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 be free for drivers and will be called Saarthi. Through this, the Centre aims to protect drivers from the exploitative policies of ride-hailing service apps.

The app will offer fares of ₹30 per kilometer for up to four kilometers, ₹23 per kilometer for 4-12 kilometers, and ₹18 per kilometer for more than 12 kilometers. Like other apps, Bharat Taxi will be integrated with public transit services such as the metro, allowing users to complete their journeys through a single app.

In the initial phase, drivers will receive 100 percent of the payment. Later, the cooperative will retain approximately 20 percent of the fee, which will be redistributed to drivers as incentives. Unlike existing platforms, Bharat Taxi plans to avoid surge pricing, although dynamic pricing may be implemented under specific circumstances.

According to the Ministry of Cooperation, more than 150 women drivers have joined Bharat Taxi so far. The app is witnessing a huge increase in registrations, with around 40,000 to 45,000 new users joining daily in the last two days. According to an article posted by the Ministry of Cooperation on the social media platform X in January, the number of registered customers of Bharat Taxi has exceeded four lakh. Available on both Android and iOS, the app is ranked ninth on the Google Play Store and 13th on the Apple App Store.

Safety features also include options to notify emergency contacts, contact the security team, and activate a siren from within the app. The sign-up process only requires basic information such as a mobile number, name, and email.

Like Ola and Uber, Bharat Taxi plans to create dedicated pickup and drop zones at airports, and also plans to expand to other transportation hubs in the future.

The government will also provide drivers with personal accident insurance of ₹5 lakh and family health insurance of ₹5 lakh, ensuring the safety of both drivers and their families. Furthermore, drivers are provided with numerous benefits, including health and accident insurance, retirement savings, and a dedicated driver assistance system. Furthermore, drivers are also given the freedom to work on other apps on the platform.