Cooperative Cab Service ‘Bharat Taxi’ to Start Trial Service in November

The cooperative-based cab service Bharat Taxi will begin pilot testing in the first week of November, as per the news reports. The trial will start at Delhi’s airports and select railway stations. Around 650 drivers have been registered for the initial phase to take on Ola, Uber and Rapido. 

The service will later be expanded across the National Capital Region after the test run.

Cooperative Structure

Bharat Taxi is being operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, which was registered earlier this year under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act. The cooperative has an authorised share capital of ₹300 crore. 

Elections were held on October 13, with Amul Managing Director Jayen Mehta elected as chairperson and NCDC Deputy Managing Director Rohit Gupta as vice-chairperson.

Promoters and Funding

The initiative is being promoted by eight cooperative and financial bodies, including the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), IFFCO, Amul, NABARD, NDDB, NAFED, KRIBHCO, and others. 

Each organisation has contributed ₹10 crore, bringing the total to ₹80 crore in initial funding. Drivers joining the platform will be able to buy five shares of ₹100 each to become cooperative members after six months.

Operational Model

The service will follow a cooperative ownership model instead of the commission-based system used by private aggregators. Drivers will not pay a percentage of fares as commission but a fixed fee on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The model will also exclude surge pricing and focus on a fixed rate structure.

Expansion and Technology

After the Delhi pilot, Bharat Taxi is expected to expand to other major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow, and Jaipur. The cooperative is also working with IIIT Bangalore on app development and system integration.

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Conclusion

An interim board has been formed to manage early operations, chaired by Rohit Gupta of NCDC. The cooperative plans to set up call centres in Tier-II and Tier-III cities to create additional employment.

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