New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) The government on Wednesday said the total number of driver-partners (Sarathis) onboarded nationwide under the Bharat Taxi initiative stands at 7.97 lakh (as on July 19).
The platform presently has 2.55 lakh Sarathis in the Delhi-NCR region, 1.01 lakh in Gujarat and 71,095 in Maharashtra, Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
Bharat Taxi, a cooperative-led digital App mobility platform operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited (STCL), has been officially launched in the cities of Delhi-NCR, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The rollout of services of Bharat Taxi in other cities and States is subject to operational requirements and necessary approvals.
Expansion is undertaken based on factors such as operational preparedness, availability of Sarathis, completion of statutory requirements, and coordination with the concerned State Governments, cooperative institutions, and other stakeholders, said the minister.
According to HM Shah, Bharat Taxi operates on a zero-commission model, under which no commission is deducted from the fare earned by a Sarathi for rides booked through the platform.
A nominal ride subscription/platform usage fee is charged separately from Sarathis to meet the expenditure on technology, application maintenance and expansion of the platform. The fare payable to the Sarathi is not affected on this account.
Sarathis enrolled as members of Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited are entitled to the benefits available to members of the cooperative in accordance with its bye-laws and the provisions of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
According to an official statement, the cooperative also facilitates access to welfare and financial support for its members.
This includes access to health and personal accident insurance at concessional rates, institutional credit, including SBI Mudra loans, and vehicle financing through banks and other financial institutions.
Moreover, orientation and training programmes are organised from time to time to familiarise Sarathis with the use of the digital platform, customer service, road safety and passenger safety.
