NEW DELHI: The central government is set to launch a new cooperative-based taxi service called "Sahkar Taxi" across the country to offer an alternative option to popular ride-hailing platforms like Ola and Uber. Union Home Minister Amit Shah revealed about the plan in Parliament on March 26, stating that the new service will register two-wheeler taxis, autorickshaws and four-wheeler taxis.
Speaking during a debate in Lok Sabha, Shah said the initiative is in line with the Prime Minister's slogan, 'sahkar se samriddhi.' "In the coming months, on the cooperative basis, we are going to launch a government cooperative sarkar taxi service like Ola and Uber. The service will register two-wheeler taxis, rickshaws, as well as four-wheeler taxis. The profits from this service will not go to any big industrialist but will go solely to the drivers of the vehicles," Amit Shah said.
A similar model already exists in West Bengal with the launch of Yatri Sathi by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government. Initially introduced in Kolkata, the service has since expanded to other cities including Siliguri, Asansol and Durgapur.
Yatri Sathi allows quick dispatch, local language support (Bengali or English), affordable fares and 24/7 customer support, making it a convenient and accessible option for passengers across the region. Meanwhile, in Karnataka, a privately owned taxi services app called Namma Yathri follows a similar model by ensuring that all profits go directly to the drivers.
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