Zero-Commission Bharat Taxi Hits 4 UP Metros: CM Yogi Rolls Out ₹5 Lakh Social Security

In a dual welfare push designed to empower gig mobility workers and agrarian households, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath rolled out the cooperative-driven Bharat Taxi service alongside the Chief Minister Krishak Samriddhi Yojana on Wednesday. The landmark transportation initiative directly challenges standard corporate ride-hailing aggregators by providing two-wheeler and three-wheeler auto-rickshaw drivers with a zero-commission cooperative framework, shareholder equity status, and an institutional social security shield valued at ₹5 lakh per operator.

Cooperative Ride-Hailing Debuts Across Four Key UP Metros

Commercial rollout for the Bharat Taxi network has officially commenced across four primary urban centers: Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, and Prayagraj. To ensure seamless ground transit integration, strategic operational agreements have already been formalized with public infrastructure bodies, including the Lucknow Airport Authority, Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC), and the Lucknow Police department. Addressing attendees during the launch gathering at 5 Kalidas Marg, the Chief Minister underscored that for the first time since independence, a dedicated Ministry of Cooperation is translating structural reforms into tangible economic benefits for informal urban drivers, transforming daily transit gig workers into genuine profit-sharing equity partners.

Subsidized 6% Agricultural Loans and Digital Cooperative Infrastructure

Alongside the mobility rollout, the administration initiated the Chief Minister Krishak Samriddhi Yojana to deliver affordable credit to five lakh small and marginal farmers across the state. Under the revamped credit channel, agricultural loans disbursed through the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Village Development Bank have seen interest rates slashed from the earlier 11 percent down to an accessible six percent per annum. The credit facility covers farm operational inputs, implements, and mechanized equipment. Concurrently, the state debuted several digital tools—including the Krishak Samriddhi Portal App (UPCDC), an integrated fertilizer distribution tracking app, and a centralized Cooperative Data Center—to bring transparent digital services directly to rural growers.

Industrial Turnaround and Dignity for Informal Workers

Highlighting the state’s broader economic turnaround, Chief Minister Yogi noted that 122 sugar mills are currently in full operation across Uttar Pradesh, with over 100 mills successfully processing cane price settlements directly into farmers' accounts by the fourth day following procurement. In symbolic handovers during the event, the Chief Minister presented official Bharat Taxi equity share certificates to five registered drivers and formally handed over loan sanction letters to five farming beneficiaries. The commercial vehicle fleet was flagged off in the presence of Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Muralidhar, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh, and key administrative leaders from the cooperative banking sector.