Gandhinagar, 27 June (H.S.): Union Home and Cooperation Minister and Gandhinagar MP Amit Shah on Saturday launched the cooperative model-based 'Bharat Taxi' service at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. He said the service would be expanded to 500 cities and villages across the country within the next two years. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was also present on the occasion.

During the event, several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat airports, along with various government institutions.

Addressing the gathering, Amit Shah said the primary objective of Bharat Taxi is to prevent the exploitation of both passengers and drivers. He explained that the service is based on the cooperative model, under which drivers will not merely operate vehicles but will also become partners and owners of the organisation. He added that within the next two years, Bharat Taxi services would be extended to 500 large and small cities and villages across the country, offering both two-wheeler and four-wheeler transport services.

The Union Minister said repeated complaints had been received regarding excessive commissions charged by private app-based taxi platforms, restrictions on the registration of new drivers, and delays in payments. Bharat Taxi has been introduced to address these issues. Under the new model, drivers will be referred to as 'Sarathis', who will not only provide transport services but will also become owners of the cooperative organisation.

He said the initiative has three key objectives: preventing the exploitation of Sarathis and customers, providing dignity and ownership to drivers, and developing a safe and prosperous transportation system. At present, more than seven lakh Sarathis are associated with the cooperative, while over 3.7 million people have already benefited from its services.

Amit Shah also said that some people were spreading misinformation regarding Bharat Taxi's fare structure. He asserted that the fares are competitive and claimed that after the launch of Bharat Taxi, private companies had also started reducing their fares. In the future, Sarathis will also be provided with facilities such as loans, insurance, and support for business expansion.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said cooperation is an integral part of Gujarat's identity, and Bharat Taxi is not merely a new transport service but an important initiative to strengthen the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat. He expressed confidence that the cooperative model would achieve remarkable success in Gujarat because of the state's strong cooperative culture. He added that drivers who previously worked for fixed incomes under private companies would now also become partners in the profits under the cooperative system.

It is noteworthy that Amit Shah is on a two-day visit to his Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency on June 27 and 28. During the visit, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for development projects worth several crore rupees and participate in various review meetings with organisational and administrative officials.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar