Got to try traveling around town in a day, but you chose to book rides through a ridesharing app, instead of the traditional taxis, trains, and cabs? Take a look at your bill. Shocking, right?
Previously, Ridesharing Forum reported about Bharat Taxi soon entering the ridesharing industry in India, offering something new for passengers in this country. This time, the goals are coming into fruition, at last.
Thank you to the Indian government
Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has already recently communicated with the Parliament regarding their questions, saying that Bharat Taxi is poised to “free the country’s commercial vehicle drivers from dependency on private companies.”
In other words, Bharat Taxi is rescuing passengers from the exorbitant fees of other ridesharing apps.
“Yes, the government proposes to launch a cooperative-led digital App mobility platform which will support to free the country’s commercial vehicle drivers from dependency on private companies,” the response on the document stated. “Salient features of the Bharat Taxi app include user-friendly mobile ride booking, transparent fare, vehicle tracking, support for multilingual interfaces, and 24/7 customer services to enhance accessibility, secure and verified onboarding, inclusive mobility, tech-enabled support, and safety measures to the citizens… With zero commission model, drivers will get full earnings from each ride…”
This is a nod to the fact that India’s biggest ridesharing apps, Uber and Ola, charge hefty commissions on each fare arranged via their apps, and that those fees have reduced the amount of money that drivers receive after a trip.
This also reflects the South Asian nation’s uneasy relationship with technology companies, which it fears will dominate local markets with for-profit business models that benefit shareholders but challenge local businesses.
India has likewise responded to the challenges posed by these big tech companies, such as with regard to the features of real-time payments between participating parties and users exchanging money regardless of their payment method. The International Monetary Fund is acting as an intermediary, so consumers are empowered, innovation is fostered, and the shift away from cash is bolstered.
No commission
When ridesharing apps receive minimal commission, ridesharing fees are cheaper. Bharat Taxi is just making the lives of leading ridesharing apps more challenging.
Bharat Taxi, which will be operated by a co-op, pertains to the service as “a sustainable and democratic taxi service owned and operated by drivers” and will deliver “fair income, social security and dignified livelihood for drivers through collective ownership and cooperative principles.”
This app is already accessible via Android, promising passengers the chance to “book cabs in all major cities and countless small towns across India.” It will also operate cabs, private cabs, motorcycles, and even three-wheeled auto-rickshaws.
Meanwhile, Minister for Communications and Development, Jyotiraditya Scindia, is also taking action to prevent fraud by requiring the parties to install a fraud reporting app. This way, each time you suspect you are being scammed, you may easily submit a report. For more ridesharing news, keep browsing this Ridesharing Forum site.