03 June,2026 04:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
CM Devendra Fadnavis holds a high-level meeting held at Mantralaya to discuss the proposed launch of Sahakar Taxi Co-operative Limited (Bharat Taxi). PIC/X
The Maharashtra government will soon frame a regulatory framework for app-based aggregator cooperative taxi services and formally approve their rollout in the state, Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday.
The announcement came after a high-level meeting held at Mantralaya to discuss the proposed launch of Sahakar Taxi Co-operative Limited (Bharat Taxi). The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Minister of State Madhuri Misal, and several legislators including Pravin Darekar, Ravindra Chavan, Prasad Lad, Prashant Thakur, Mahesh Baldi, and Randhir Savarkar, along with senior transport officials.
Fadnavis said the proposed cooperative aggregator model would transform the livelihoods of lakhs of drivers by ensuring financial stability and social security. He added that the service would also improve the quality of transport services available to citizens, especially in smaller cities where the rollout is planned in the first phase.
Sarnaik said that while app-based taxi aggregator services currently operate through private companies, drivers often face issues such as inconsistent earnings and lack of social protection. The cooperative model, he said, aims to address these concerns by making drivers stakeholders in the system and enabling them to become part-owners of the platform.
Officials also informed that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation is developing a new app-based service named "Chhava", which is expected to integrate digital transport solutions under the state transport ecosystem.
During the meeting, Darekar provided details regarding the proposed operations of the Devdatt Cooperative Transport and Tourism Institution, which is expected to contribute to the initiative.
Colonel Himanshu, representing Sahakar Bharat Taxi Co-operative Limited, presented the Bharat Taxi model, stating that the service will initially be launched in Mumbai before expanding to Pune and Nagpur.
The Bharat Taxi initiative, conceptualised under the guidance of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, aims to economically and socially empower nearly 2 crore commercial drivers across the country. Under the scheme, drivers will receive ownership opportunities, insurance coverage for health and accidents, and access to government welfare schemes including the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and Ayushman Bharat.
