What is the story about?
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. With customers frustrated with price surges and other major issues related to private firms, the government is planning to remove that hurdle from people’s lives.
What is Bharat Taxi?
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, TOI reported.How is it different from other cab service firms?
With 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.Also Read: Bengaluru Woman Student Assaulted by Cabbie After Questioning Why He Avoided Toll Route to AirportSaarthis, and not drivers
The drivers of the ‘Bharat Taxis’ would be called ‘Saarthis’ (Charioteer), and not ‘driver’, or ‘bhaiya’. Moreover, according to the TOI report, around 650 drivers are expected to take part in it.For a long time now, commuters have been complaining about the app-based taxis, stressing about the rude behaviour of drivers, surge charges, hidden charges, last-minute cancellations and whatnot. But with India’s ‘Bharat Taxi’, all these worries will be left behind with no surge fee or last-minute cancellations. According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the launch of Bharat Taxi aligns with the government's vision of promoting cooperative enterprises under the "Sahakar se Samriddhi". This initiative will empower drivers, ensuring equitable distribution of profits.Do you find this article useful?












