Bharat Taxi Guarantees Minimum Base Rate – Amit Shah
India’s newly launched cooperative ride-hailing service Bharat Taxi will guarantee a minimum base rate per kilometre for all drivers on its platform, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said at a town hall event with cab and auto drivers from Delhi-NCR and Gujarat. The platform aims to set a baseline earning floor and a profit-sharing model for driver partners.
Bharat Taxi Minimum Base Rate Per Kilometre
Shah said Bharat Taxi will ensure that drivers do not earn below a fixed base rate per kilometre made available across the platform. This guarantee is intended to provide drivers with a consistent minimum earning for each trip, differing from existing private ride-hailing services that do not enforce such a floor for compensation. Shah added that the cooperative model will seek to balance operational costs with transparent driver earnings.
Under the cooperative structure, drivers can become stakeholders by purchasing a nominal share, and as membership grows, driver representatives will have seats on the board of directors to influence key policy decisions.
Driver Profit Sharing And Cooperative Model
In addition to the base rate, the service will return a significant portion of profits back to drivers based on kilometres driven, with remaining funds retained as cooperative capital. Shah invoked the cooperative model of Amul to illustrate how member-driven enterprises can share benefits widely among participants. Drivers and partners were encouraged to view themselves as co-owners of the cooperative and not just service providers.
The platform currently operates in Delhi-NCR and parts of Gujarat, with plans to expand across India. Drivers have been assured that fare and policy updates will be communicated in advance through the app to maintain clarity and trust.
Expansion And Inclusion Features
Bharat Taxi is expected to scale operations to multiple urban areas in the coming years, offering features like a dedicated option for women passengers and a grievance redressal system for drivers. The cooperative aims to challenge established aggregators by prioritising driver earnings and ownership over commission-based models.
