Gandhinagar, June 27 (IANS) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi travelled in a ‘Bharat Taxi’ on Saturday shortly after launching the cooperative ride-hailing service in the state, with the three leaders riding from Mahatma Mandir to the Circuit House in Gandhinagar.

The symbolic journey followed the formal launch of Bharat Taxi in the state, which aims to expand the cooperative movement into the mobility sector by making drivers shareholders in the platform rather than commission-based operators.

The driver who ferried the three leaders described the experience as “unforgettable” and expressed confidence that the initiative would benefit taxi operators across the state.

“It feels very good. The Bharat Taxi app is excellent, and all of us drivers are going to benefit from it,” he said after completing the journey.

Recalling his interaction with the leaders, the driver said: “Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi asked me my name and since when I had been associated with the service.”

He added, “I am very happy. I never imagined this would happen. My fortune has opened.”

Earlier on Saturday, Union Minister Shah formally launched the initiative, describing it as a cooperative alternative to conventional app-based taxi platforms.

During his address, the Union Home Minister said the initiative was designed to end the exploitation of drivers and passengers by making “Sarathis”, owners and shareholders in the cooperative.

Union Minister Shah announced that Bharat Taxi had commenced operations across Gujarat’s major cities in three categories, two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and four-wheelers

He asserted that the organisation planned to expand to more than 500 cities and towns across India within the next two years.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the initiative would allow drivers to share in the benefits of the enterprise instead of remaining only service providers.

“For years, taxi drivers continued to provide services, but they had no share in the profits of the companies,” Chief Minister Patel said, adding that Bharat Taxi sought to transform drivers into stakeholders through the cooperative model.

Organisers said the platform has already enrolled around seven lakh driver-members nationwide and more than 37 lakh customers.

In Gujarat, the service has been launched in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Anand, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Mehsana, Jamnagar and Valsad.

The launch event also witnessed the exchange of memorandums of understanding with several organisations, including Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation, Gujarat State Cooperative Bank, Adani Airport Holdings, the Airports Authority of India, Western Railway’s Ahmedabad Division, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Gujarat Police, with the aim of strengthening the platform’s integration with transport infrastructure and public services across the state.

–IANS

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