Bharat Taxi rolls out in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad: All you need to know about fares

No surge pricing, driver-friendly model

According to Mitra, around 35,000 drivers have already been onboarded onto the platform under its zero-commission model. And fares have been finalised in consultation with drivers themselves and are aligned with Regional Transport Office (RTO) norms.

Unlike Ola, Uber and Rapido, where prices fluctuate and can spike sharply during rain, festivals or high-demand periods, Bharat Taxi fares remain fixed through the day. The only variation is a 10 per cent increase during morning and evening peak hours.

“The fares don’t fluctuate for those using the Bharat Taxi service. Only during morning and evening peak hours do the charges increase by 10 per cent over the base fare,” Mitra explained.

The company has also frozen both the ceiling and floor rates for its vehicles, ensuring drivers get a guaranteed minimum and customers are protected from arbitrary maximums.

“Under standard RTO guidelines, a sedan’s base rate of Rs 25 per km can typically be lowered to Rs 18 per km or raised to a ceiling of Rs 32.50 per km, depending on demand. Bharat Taxi, however, has fixed its floor rate for sedans at Rs 25 per km – the RTO base rate itself – with similar fixed floors applied across other vehicle categories,” Mitra explained.

Auto-rickshaw fares have been set at Rs 18 per km, a rate Mitra says accounts for driver waiting time and remains constant even at night.

Airport pickups and intercity routes

Bharat Taxi is also working towards setting up airport pickup services. Mitra said, “Discussions are underway with airport officials to finalise a booth and deposit arrangement, with operations expected to begin soon from the Aeromall.”

Separately, the company has launched an intercity service from Pune to Mumbai. “Fares for this route have been fixed at Rs 21 per km for hatchbacks, Rs 23 per km for sedans, and Rs 30 per km for SUVs,” he said.

Bharat Taxi’s core pitch is structural, not just financial. While several ride-hailing platforms operate on commission-based models where a cut of every fare goes to the platform, Bharat Taxi charges drivers zero commission and gives them co-ownership through a cooperative structure.

For riders, this translates into predictable, stable pricing regardless of the time or conditions. For drivers, it means higher take-home earnings and a direct stake in the business, rather than functioning purely as gig workers for a private platform.

Bharat Taxi is operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd (STCL), a multi-state cooperative society, in partnership with the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). The initiative is backed by several institutions, including Amul and NABARD, whose representatives are part of the service’s interim board.

Fare structure