7.97 lakh 'Sarathis' join govt's Bharat Taxi initiative
New Delhi, July 29
The government on Wednesday said the total number of driver-partners onboarded nationwide under the Bharat Taxi initiative stands at 7.97 lakh.
The platform presently has 2.55 lakh Sarathis in the Delhi-NCR region, 1.01 lakh in Gujarat and 71,095 in Maharashtra, Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
Bharat Taxi, a cooperative-led digital App mobility platform operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited (STCL), has been officially launched in the cities of Delhi-NCR, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The rollout of services of Bharat Taxi in other cities and States is subject to operational requirements and necessary approvals.
Expansion is undertaken based on factors such as operational preparedness, availability of Sarathis, completion of statutory requirements, and coordination with the concerned State Governments, cooperative institutions, and other stakeholders, said the minister.
According to HM Shah, Bharat Taxi operates on a zero-commission model, under which no commission is deducted from the fare earned by a Sarathi for rides booked through the platform.
A nominal ride subscription/platform usage fee is charged separately from Sarathis to meet the expenditure on technology, application maintenance and expansion of the platform. The fare payable to the Sarathi is not affected on this account.
Sarathis enrolled as members of Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited are entitled to the benefits available to members of the cooperative in accordance with its bye-laws and the provisions of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
According to an official statement, the cooperative also facilitates access to welfare and financial support for its members.
This includes access to health and personal accident insurance at concessional rates, institutional credit, including SBI Mudra loans, and vehicle financing through banks and other financial institutions.
Moreover, orientation and training programmes are organised from time to time to familiarise Sarathis with the use of the digital platform, customer service, road safety and passenger safety.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive numbers but implementation matters more. How seamless is the app? We have seen many government digital initiatives struggle with user experience. Hope they prioritize tech reliability alongside policy.
The cooperative model is brilliant! Access to SBI Mudra loans and insurance at lower rates will empower drivers like never before. We need more such people-centric initiatives in transport sector.
Good initiative but 7.97 lakh is a small fraction of total taxi drivers in India. Only 3 states have coverage so far. Let's see if this scales across all states with same efficiency. Still a positive step though.
Ye dekho kya baat hai! Finally cooperative movement getting modern tech backbone. Zero commission means a driver gets full fare. I hope safety features for women passengers are equally robust. 🚗
Having used Ola and Uber for years, this is refreshing. But let's be honest - the subscription fee model could become another burden if not regulated. Need transparency in how much they charge Sarathis for platform usage.
As a regular commuter in Delhi, I'll try this. But my main concern is availability in non-peak hours. Most app taxis disappear at odd times. Let's hope Sarathis maintain better coverage.