Bharat Taxi to enter Bengaluru only by year-end

Bengaluru: With its launch up north last week, the Ministry of Corporation-backed Bharat Taxi has drawn attention nationwide. However, the platform plans to start operations in Bengaluru only in a year's time.

The platform, developed by The Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd, offers zero-commission, surge-free pricing and collective driver ownership under a cooperative model.

"We aim to benefit both drivers and passengers. There will be zero commission, and in future, drivers will pay only a nominal subscription," said Vivek Pandey, CEO. The surge fee will be "heavily capped".

In 2026, Bharat Taxi aims to expand to 25–30 cities. "We will focus on Tier-1 cities first. Before launching in Bengaluru, we will coordinate with relevant associations. We will also onboard cab, auto, and bike taxi drivers," he said.

The platform plans to integrate the Namma Metro network for multimodal transport. "We aim to launch in Bengaluru by year-end, or within 12 months," he added.

'Too many apps'

The oversaturation of the ride aggregator market will only worsen the situation for commuters, auto and cab drivers said.

"The more apps you bring in, the drivers will continue to download all the apps, and from them, they'll pick and choose the ride requests with the longest distance and the highest value. Instead, the state government needs to step in to ensure that drivers can only log into one platform with one number. Strict regulation is needed in this regard," said C Sampath, general secretary of the Adarsha Auto Union.

In recent years, multiple new platforms, which have tried to penetrate the transport ecosystem in Bengaluru have remained unsuccessful — including Nagara Metred Auto, launched in 2024 and Rook, which was launched in 2022.

No room for bike taxis

The Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations has urged the state government to roll out Bharat Taxi through integration with the Vahan portal in Karnataka, excluding bike taxis.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy shared that bike taxis would not be allowed on Bharat Taxi, unlike a "full-fledged bike taxi policy is formed".

"This being a government-backed app, we cannot allow bike taxi operations on it unless there is an official bike taxi policy. If the policy is formulated, we can think about it," he told DH.