The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra announced on 3 June 2026 that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to prepare a regulatory framework for app-based cooperative taxi services in the state. The directive, shared on the official handle, is linked to the emerging BharatTaxi initiative that envisages worker-owned ride-hailing as an alternative to dominant private aggregators.

The post, originally in Marathi, reads: 'Prepare rules for app-based cooperative taxi: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' (ॲप आधारित सहकारी टॅक्सीसाठी नियमावली तयार करा). The instruction signals that the state intends to formalise a cooperative model within Maharashtra's existing transport regulatory architecture.

Context

The directive comes amid sustained friction between commuters, drivers and private ride-hailing platforms over fares, commissions and working conditions. A cooperative-led app model would, in principle, allow drivers to own a stake in the platform that aggregates their rides, with surpluses flowing back to members rather than to external shareholders.

Fadnavis, who has led urban governance and infrastructure portfolios across his terms, has previously pushed for regulatory clarity in mobility. By asking officials to draft a dedicated rulebook, the Chief Minister is moving the cooperative idea from political messaging towards an enforceable licensing regime.

Policy backdrop

Maharashtra had in 2017 issued guidelines regulating app-based taxi aggregators, addressing concerns around surge pricing, permit conditions and driver onboarding for services operating in cities such as Mumbai and Pune. Those rules were framed under the broader umbrella of the Motor Vehicles Act and subsequent central aggregator guidelines.

A cooperative taxi framework would sit alongside that regime, but require distinct provisions on membership eligibility, governance of the cooperative society, technology standards for the booking app, fare-setting mechanisms and grievance redressal. Officials will likely need to harmonise rules drawn from cooperative law, transport law and information-technology regulations.

Stakeholders and impact

The most immediate beneficiaries of the proposed framework would be taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers, who have long complained about high platform commissions and opaque incentive structures. Established cooperative societies in the transport sector could find a digital pathway to scale, while new driver collectives may be encouraged to register under the upcoming rules.

Private ride-hailing aggregators will watch the framework closely for any provisions that alter the competitive landscape, including caps on commissions, data-sharing obligations or preferential treatment for cooperatives in city permits. Commuters stand to gain if competition expands service availability, though pricing outcomes will depend on the fare rules eventually notified.

What's next

The transport department is expected to circulate a draft notification detailing eligibility, technology and governance norms for cooperative taxi platforms. Pilot rollouts in metropolitan centres such as Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur will be a key signal of how quickly the model can move from paper to road.

Equally important will be the interface between the new cooperative rulebook and the existing aggregator licensing regime, including whether amendments are required to the 2017 guidelines. The pace at which the state finalises and notifies the rules will determine whether the BharatTaxi push translates into a working alternative in the urban mobility market or remains a policy intent.