A wave of coercion allegations in Gujarat's ride-hailing market is putting Bharat Taxi, India's first government-backed cab platform, under uncomfortable scrutiny just weeks after its launch narrative centered on driver empowerment and cooperative ownership.
Passengers and drivers in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar told Inc42 that groups of roughly 10 to 15 people had been stopping vehicles, asking which app the ride had been booked through, and pressuring riders to cancel trips on Uber and Rapido. One passenger who arrived in Ahmedabad from Pune said she was confronted shortly after her cab left the airport earlier this week.
"I wanted to reach my hotel and did not feel comfortable cancelling the ride at midnight, but they were not allowing us to leave," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity. According to her account, members of the group surrounded the vehicle, demanded to know the booking platform, and took the driver's phone before asking her to cancel the ride and delete the Uber and Rapido apps from her own phone.
"I was asked to cancel the ride and delete Uber and Rapido from my phone. They even took my phone to check whether I had actually deleted the app," she said. She eventually complied, deleted the app, and completed the journey only after booking a ride outside the apps. But the episode, she said, changed how she approached every subsequent ride-hailing trip during her stay.
Her account is one among several shared with Inc42 by passengers and drivers in the region. The identities of those accused, and their affiliations, have not been independently established. It is also not clear whether Bharat Taxi authorised or directed the alleged conduct. Bharat Taxi did not respond to Inc42's questions on the allegations.
The claims come against the backdrop of a separate development reported by Financial Express earlier this week: cab and autorickshaw drivers in Ahmedabad began boycotting Uber and Rapido a day earlier over fares and platform charges, urging passengers to use Bharat Taxi instead. But some of the accounts shared with Inc42 suggest the disruptions may have started before that boycott became public.
Bharat Taxi was launched as a government-backed alternative to dominant private ride-hailing platforms, promising a cooperative-like model in which drivers would have ownership, a greater say in the business and a share in the profits. Operated by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the platform requires drivers to buy a minimum of five shares worth Rs 500, in return for benefits including dividends, health insurance and pension. Its pitch has been built around a zero-commission structure and the promise that drivers would be free to work on other platforms as well.
That promise now sits uneasily beside the allegations emerging from Gujarat. Several drivers told Inc42 they were being pressured to use Bharat Taxi even though, in their view, the app did not generate enough bookings to sustain their earnings. One Uber driver said the pressure had intensified over the past two weeks.
"The problem has gone on for the past 15 days. I don't know how I will pay EMI for my car," he told Inc42.
Other drivers alleged that they had been threatened with violence by unidentified groups on the street. Some said valuables and cash were stolen after they were warned that their vehicles would be vandalised. A few described what they called "honeypots," where alleged miscreants booked rides through Uber or Rapido and then threatened the drivers who accepted the trips.
Inc42 said it had not independently verified those accounts, and several drivers reportedly said they were afraid to approach police because they feared retaliation. That fear, if widespread, could make it difficult for authorities to determine whether the incidents are isolated acts of intimidation, a coordinated campaign, or a broader backlash against app-based mobility platforms.
The allegations also highlight a deeper tension in India's ride-hailing sector: the clash between platform economics, driver income, and the politics of market share. Bharat Taxi was positioned as a corrective to complaints about commissions and opaque pricing on private apps. But if riders and drivers are being pushed off competing platforms through intimidation, the company's cooperative promise risks being overshadowed by questions about consent, competition and public safety.
For passengers, the immediate concern is simple: whether booking a ride through a familiar app can still guarantee a safe and uninterrupted trip. For drivers, the stakes are financial and personal, with earnings, loan repayments and vehicle security all hanging in the balance. And for Bharat Taxi, the challenge is reputational as much as operational. In a market where trust is the core product, even unverified allegations of coercion can spread quickly and damage confidence.
As of now, the full extent of the incidents remains unclear. What is clear is that the launch of a government-backed alternative to Uber and Rapido has collided with a volatile mix of driver grievances, street-level pressure and passenger anxiety in Gujarat. Whether the allegations lead to formal complaints, police action or a broader regulatory response may determine not only Bharat Taxi's early trajectory, but also how India defines fair competition in urban mobility.