India considers private cars for ridesharing to cut traffic

FILE PHOTO: An employee walks inside the office of ride-hailing service Uber in Gurugram, previously known as Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India April 19, 2016. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee/File Photo

NEW DELHI: India is examining the use of private vehicles as shared taxis in an effort to reduce car ownership and curb growing traffic congestion in major cities, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. 

India's federal think-tank, which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has partnered with companies including ride-sharing firm Uber Technologies to assess the economic and environmental impact of using private cars as taxis, a government official involved in the process said.