Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah introduced ‘Bharat Taxi’ in Gujarat to address issues faced by taxi operators and passengers. Shah highlighted the cooperative model as a solution to challenges posed by existing app-based platforms. He emphasized the need to eliminate exploitation within the sector after hearing complaints from drivers and commuters regarding unfair practices.
Shah criticized the arbitrary deductions and penalties imposed on drivers by current taxi services. He noted instances where commissions were deducted from earnings, fares were delayed, and registrations were suspended without due process. Shah expressed that legislative interventions alone might not suffice to resolve these issues, leading to the idea of establishing a cooperative taxi service owned by its members.
Comparing the initiative to successful cooperative models in dairy and fertilizers, Shah cited examples like Amul, IFFCO, and KRIBHCO. He stressed the economic success achieved by these cooperatives in ensuring direct benefits to their members. The primary objectives of ‘Bharat Taxi’ are to prevent exploitation of drivers and customers and to provide dignity to drivers by making them stakeholders in the cooperative structure.
