The Indian government has announced plans to launch India’s first cooperative taxi service, “Bharat Taxi”, with an aim to show transparent fares to riders, with no surge fee. In a bid to make it pocket-friendly and easy for commuters, the Central government has planned to launch the services in November.
The customers are frustrated with price surges and other major issues related to private firms, so the government is planning to remove that hurdle from people’s lives. Bharat Taxi is a government-backed initiative which is developed under the Ministry of Cooperation and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD).
This service will allow drivers to become co-owners and shareholders, giving them more power. The government is planning to roll out its pilot phase in November this year. Bharat Taxi, the cab drivers will get 100 per cent of their earnings, hence it is not based on a commission system that works in other private ride-hailing platforms.
Not just for drivers’ benefits, it will also be better for the customers, as the taxi will offer affordable and transparent fares, with no surge fee. The drivers of the ‘Bharat Taxis’ would be called ‘Saarthis’ (Charioteer), and not ‘driver’, or ‘bhaiya’. According to the reports, around 650 drivers are expected to take part in it.
