Bharat Taxi is accelerating its rollout across Uttar Pradesh, with plans to extend the app-based ride-hailing service to 12 additional cities before Diwali — a move timed to ease travel during peak festival seasons. The expansion follows the initial launch in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kanpur, and Prayagraj. Now, Ayodhya, Agra, and Meerut are entering the network first, with preparations already underway ahead of Navratri. These three cities are high-priority due to their religious significance and heavy footfall during festivals. The next wave includes Firozabad, Muzaffarnagar, Mathura, Hapur, Sitapur, Hathras, Etawah, Mirzapur, and Rae Bareli, all set to join within a month. Ground-level onboarding and driver registration have begun in most of these locations. Over 50,000 drivers across the state are already connected to the Bharat Taxi platform, with numbers expected to grow as new cities come online. The expansion isn’t limited to four-wheelers. Two-wheeler and three-wheeler drivers are being integrated into the network, offering more flexible and affordable options for short-distance travel, especially useful in congested urban areas or for last-mile connectivity. This shift aims to support local livelihoods, giving young riders of bikes, autos, and taxis a digital channel to reach passengers. Cooperation Minister JPS Rathore confirmed that the timing is deliberate: passenger demand spikes at railway stations, bus stands, markets, and religious sites during Navratri and Diwali. To meet this surge, the government has expedited the process of connecting vehicles and drivers at the local level. The focus remains on improving accessibility in both major tourism hubs and smaller towns. While no details on pricing or commission structures have been released, the scale of the rollout suggests a broad infrastructure push. With the next phase now active, the service’s reach across Uttar Pradesh is expanding faster than ever. And the wheels are turning just in time for the season of travel.