Bike taxi operators in Coimbatore desire early entry of Central govt.-backed ‘Bharat Taxi’ app in Tamil Nadu

Bike taxi operators in Coimbatore city, many among them consisting of college students working on a part-time basis, are apparently anticipating early presence of ‘Bharat Taxi’ app, which was launched earlier this month by the Central Government.

Registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act 2002, India’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform for two-wheelers, autorickshaws and taxis, extends to the drivers the benefits of insurance, loans, subsidies, and all government schemes related to gig workers.

The ‘Bharat Taxi’ app, bike taxi operators believe, will free them from the hassles they face at the Coimbatore Junction Railway Station and bus stands.

Three-wheeler and four-wheeler drivers who are already part of private platforms are also apparently watching the development with interest.

According to Sankar, a bike-taxi operator belonging to Periyanaickenpalayam, ‘Bharat Taxi’ will, in all probability, draw drivers like him currently in the purview of private aggregators in droves.

Since the fare is generated and showed upfront in the app, depending on destination and distance, and the question of commission does not arise, the compelling need for drivers to ask for additional fare from customers, due to hefty payments otherwise made to the private aggregators, will not arise, another driver operating own vehicle for pre-paid taxi service from the Coimbatore Railway Junction said.

In the case of autorickshaws and taxis, operators of bike taxis are required to obtain contract carriage permits for the two-wheeler, to operate legally under Motor Vehicles Act 1988.

The Central Government has expressed its desire to expand ‘Bharat Taxi’ to all States and cities across the country within the next two years, establish dedicated support centres in every State, further strengthen drivers’ social security, and develop a sustainable, inclusive, and cooperative-based mobility ecosystem through deeper integration with national digital public infrastructure.

According to officials of the Transport Department, Tamil Nadu has so far not been covered in the ambit of ‘Bharat Taxi’.

The Transport Department is yet to receive specific instructions from the Centre on how a two-wheeler could be registered as a contract carriage within the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, a senior official said.