Amit Shah Launches Cooperative Ride-Hailing Platform Bharat Taxi, Criticises Private Aggregators
Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched Bharat Taxi, a cooperative-owned ride-hailing platform, in 14 cities across Gujarat. The platform is positioned as an alternative to private app-based cab aggregators such as Uber and Ola, which Shah accused of exploiting both drivers and passengers.
Addressing the launch event, Shah alleged that private platforms deduct hefty commissions from drivers, delay payments, and suspend driver registrations based solely on passenger complaints without giving drivers an opportunity to present their case. He said the cooperative model aims to eliminate such practices and ensure drivers are treated as stakeholders rather than service providers.
Shah noted that some media reports have claimed Bharat Taxi’s fares are higher than those of competitors. He responded by stating that whenever Bharat Taxi enters a market, competing companies immediately reduce their fares, even incurring losses. He alleged that these companies are willing to sustain short-term losses to force Bharat Taxi out of the market and later resume what he described as arbitrary business practices. “They want Bharat Taxi to fail so they can once again function arbitrarily,” Shah said, adding that such strategies would not succeed in India.
Bharat Taxi was soft-launched in Gujarat in December last year. It operates on a zero-commission model, allowing drivers to retain the entire fare and giving them ownership in the platform. The service initially offers three categories: two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and four-wheelers.
During his speech, Shah criticised private aggregators for prioritising profits over fair treatment. “For their profits, these companies exploited countless drivers as well as citizens who used taxi services. Complaints kept coming. Sometimes commissions were deducted from the driver’s earnings, and fares did not reach them for several days,” he said. He also alleged that driver registrations were often cancelled solely based on passenger complaints without a fair hearing.
The launch event was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Minister Jitu Vaghani, Union Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani, senior cooperative sector officials, representatives of various institutions, and over 4,000 Bharat Taxi drivers.
To expand its network, Bharat Taxi signed memoranda of understanding with the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat State Cooperative Bank, the traffic police, airports in Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot, and the Ahmedabad Division of Western Railway.
