Patna: Bihar is expected to launch the Bharat Taxi service by the end of November, giving passengers another option for booking taxis and auto-rickshaws while letting local drivers connect with a digital platform, Patna Press reported. The customer app has been activated and its testing has been completed, according to the state Transport Department, and preparations for the rollout are under way.

Source: Patna Press

A review meeting was held at Vishveshwarya Bhawan in Patna on Monday under the chairmanship of Transport Secretary Raj Kumar. State Transport Commissioner Arif Ahsan said the service would initially be introduced in Patna, Gaya, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur. Bharat Taxi chief executive Colonel Himanshu said approximately 2,005 taxi drivers in Bihar had already joined the platform. The launch is targeted for the end of November, subject to completion of the remaining preparations.

A cooperative platform, now reaching Bihar

Bharat Taxi is India's first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform, established on 6 June 2025 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 and supported by eight national cooperative institutions, according to a Press Information Bureau fact sheet. As of 25 July 2026 it had nearly 8 lakh registered drivers and around 41 lakh registered customers, and the fact sheet listed Patna among the cities planned in its next expansion phase, alongside Ranchi, Guwahati, Bhopal, Kolkata, Indore and Nagpur.

Source: Press Information Bureau fact sheet

4 citiesFirst phase in Bihar: Patna, Gaya, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur
2,005Bihar taxi drivers already on the platform, per Bharat Taxi CEO
End of NovemberTargeted launch, subject to remaining preparations

For Bihar's drivers, the service is presented as a cooperative alternative to private ride-hailing apps: drivers join as members of the platform rather than only as gig partners. For passengers in the four first-phase cities, it adds a government-backed booking option for taxis and auto-rickshaws once the service goes live.

What happens next is the launch itself: the Transport Department says the remaining preparations must be completed before the end-November target, and the first phase will show how many of the 2,005 registered drivers are active on the road in Patna, Gaya, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur when bookings open.