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The Maharashtra government has launched the Bharat Taxi ride-sharing service at the Navi Mumbai International Airport premises, introducing a zero-commission, surge-free platform aimed at benefiting both passengers and drivers. The service follows traditional meter-taxi fares and allows drivers to receive earnings directly without intermediary deductions. The first phase has started with 600 taxis in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with plans to expand across Maharashtra. The initiative is being rolled out under a cooperative model through Sahakar Taxi Co-op Ltd and is positioned as an Indian alternative to app-based ride-hailing platforms.
The Maharashtra government has launched the Bharat Taxi ride-sharing app at the Navi Mumbai International Airport premises, introducing a surge-free and zero-commission taxi service that aims to offer predictable fares for passengers while increasing earnings for drivers. The initiative was launched jointly by the Central and Maharashtra governments.
Speaking at the launch, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said passengers using Bharat Taxi would not have to pay surge prices during festivals, peak travel periods or heavy monsoon rainfall. He said fares have been fixed in line with conventional meter-taxi rates, with charges capped at INR 31 for the first 1.5 kilometres and INR 21 for every kilometre thereafter.
Fadnavis said private ride-hailing aggregators had contributed significantly to urban mobility over the years, but passengers and drivers have also faced challenges due to high surge pricing and substantial commission charges. He said Bharat Taxi removes intermediaries by directly connecting passengers and drivers, while the Maharashtra Cooperative Department will oversee all financial transactions under the platform.
The service operates on a zero-commission model, allowing drivers to retain their earnings while also participating in a cooperative structure where profits are distributed directly to them. The government is positioning Bharat Taxi as an indigenous alternative to foreign investment-backed ride-hailing platforms.
As part of the rollout, an agreement was signed between the Maharashtra government and Sahakar Taxi Co-op Ltd to support the operation and expansion of the service. In the first phase, 600 taxis have been integrated into the platform across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The fleet is expected to cross 1,000 vehicles in the near term before the service is expanded to Pune and other parts of Maharashtra.
The launch comes as governments across India continue to explore cooperative and driver-centric mobility models amid concerns raised by drivers over commission-based ride-hailing platforms. Several state governments have also been examining ways to improve fare transparency and driver welfare while promoting digital transport services.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Muralidhar Mohol said that under the Sahakar Taxi framework, drivers become direct owners and shareholders in the cooperative instead of working as employees. He added that nearly 8 lakh drivers across the country have already joined the wider cooperative network and have collectively received more than INR 77 crore directly into their bank accounts without deductions by intermediaries.
Source PTI
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