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Hyderabad: The founder president of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), Shaik Salauddin, on Thursday, August 27, urged the Centre to immediately launch the government-backed Bharat Taxi platform in Telangana, saying drivers on commercial app-based platforms were being exploited by commission-driven models.

In a statement, Salauddin appealed to Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Cooperation Ministry Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani and Bharat Taxi CEO Col Himanshu to make Telangana an immediate priority for the platform’s expansion.

What is Bharat Taxi?

Bharat Taxi is India’s first cooperative-sector ride-hailing platform, run by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd, a multi-state cooperative society. It was formally launched by Shah in New Delhi on February 5 this year, after an earlier rollout in Gujarat, and operates on a zero-commission, surge-free pricing model under which ride earnings go directly to drivers rather than being split with a private aggregator.

Modelled on cooperative institutions such as Amul and Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), the platform runs on the principle of “Sarathi Hi Malik,” meaning drivers are described as co-owners rather than just employees. 

It integrates two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers, and offers drivers access to health and accident insurance, retirement savings options and other social security benefits through registration on the e-Shram portal.

8.48 lakh drivers registered so far

According to the Ministry of Cooperation, Bharat Taxi had 8.48 lakh registered Sarathis (drivers) and 44.27 lakh registered customers as of August 4, with 11,106 daily rides and Rs 83.70 crore in cumulative earnings enabled for drivers. 

The platform currently operates in Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, with the government having previously said it plans to expand the service to more than 500 cities and towns nationwide within two to three years.

“Telangana should be made an immediate priority for Bharat Taxi’s expansion. Ola, Uber and Rapido drivers are working long hours under severe financial pressure. Their blood, sweat and hard work must not be exploited by commission-driven platforms,” Salauddin said.

He demanded that fares on Bharat Taxi in Telangana not be lower than those fixed by the state government, including the existing benchmark under government order (GO) 46 for prepaid taxis.

“Bharat Taxi must truly follow the principle of ‘Sarathi Hi Malik,’ fair fares, transparent earnings and dignity for every driver,” Salauddin said.