Bharat Taxi to roll out in Jan: Here's how it is different from Ola, Uber

Ride-hailing service Bharat Taxi, which began pilot operations across New Delhi and parts of Gujarat earlier this month, is set for a January rollout in the national capital, according to a report by The Economic Times. The platform is positioning itself as a challenger to established players such as Uber, Ola and Rapido.

 

Operated by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited, Bharat Taxi is being promoted as the home-grown, driver-owned mobility service. The platform claims to be the world’s largest driver-owned mobility network, with over 100,000 registered drivers across cars, auto-rickshaws and bike taxis in New Delhi and the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.

 

 

Here's a breakdown of what Bharat Taxi is and how it is different from its rivals Ola, Uber and Rapido.

What is Bharat Taxi?

Bharat Taxi follows a zero-commission model, under which drivers retain the full fare earned. According to a report, more than two-thirds of its registered drivers are cab operators, while the rest include auto-rickshaw and bike taxi drivers.

 

The cooperative has also launched the Bharat Taxi mobile application, which has crossed 75,000 downloads and is available on both Android and iOS platforms.

Key features of Bharat Taxi app

The app offers transparent fare structures, multilingual support, real-time vehicle tracking, and 24×7 customer support. The platform also offers enhanced safety features, including driver verification and integration with the Delhi Police and other agencies to assure the safety of both riders and drivers.

 

Ride options include AC, Premium, non-AC and XL cabs. The platform promises quick pickups within two minutes and competitive pricing. The minimum fare for up to 4 km is ₹30, fares between 4-12 km are ₹23 per km, and rides beyond 12 km are priced at ₹18 per km.

 

Similar to other aggregators, Bharat Taxi also integrates with public transit services such as the Metro, allowing users to plan and complete journeys involving multiple modes of transport through a single app.

How to use Bharat Taxi app?

A trial is currently underway in Delhi and Gujarat. Users can sign up using their mobile numbers, enter pick-up and drop locations, choose a ride option, and track their journey in real-time. It is quite similar to those offered by private ride-hailing platforms.

How is Bharat Taxi different from Ola and Uber?

In the initial phase, 100 per cent of ride payments will go directly to drivers. At a later stage, the cooperative may retain a fee of around 20 per cent, which it says will be redistributed to drivers in the form of incentives.

 

Unlike existing platforms, Bharat Taxi plans to avoid surge pricing, although dynamic pricing may be applied in specific situations. However, there are likely to be overlaps in driver participation, with many drivers remaining onboard platforms such as Ola, Uber and Rapido alongside Bharat Taxi.

 

The cooperative also plans to set up dedicated Bharat Taxi stands at airports and other key locations. Most of the established cab aggregators like Ola and Uber have dedicated stands at airports and railway stations.