‘Kerala Savari’, the country's first online taxi service owned by a state government, was launched in the state capital on August 17. The state government says that ‘Kerala Savari’, similar to other cab services, would ensure decent service to passengers and fair remuneration to auto and taxi workers. The service is an initiative of the Motor Workers Welfare Board under the Labour Department.
While the service has been launched by the government, it is yet to be available to the public as the application is being scrutinised by Google. A 24-hour call centre is functioning at the District Office of the Motor Workers Welfare Board, where all service related issues can be resolved immediately.
The project is being piloted in Thiruvananthapuram city. It will be rolled out across the state in a phased manner, after evaluating the pilot phase. The government has stated that the service will be launched in Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur municipal limits within a month.
Here are three things to know about the state government owned cab service:
Unlike other online platforms, there will be no fare fluctuation on Kerala Savari. Currently, ride-hailing cab aggregators hike service charges up to one and a half times during peak hours. “Neither passengers nor workers benefit from it. Kerala Savari only charges 8% service charge in addition to the rate set by the government, while in other online taxis it is 20% to 30%. The amount received as service charge would be used for the implementation of this scheme and for providing promotional incentives to passengers and drivers,” a press release from the government said.
Kerala Savari is said to be a safe and reliable online service for women, children and senior citizens. This feature was kept in mind when designing the app and during driver registration, according to the promoter. A police clearance certificate is mandatory for drivers joining the scheme.
Further, the app also has a panic button system, which can be used in the event of a mishap or when passengers or the driver sense danger. Passengers and the driver would be able to operate the panic button privately without alarming each other. Further, on pressing the panic button, there is an option to select the Police, Fire Force and Motor Vehicle Department to sent intimations. If a person cannot select any option, they will be directly connected to the police control room.
According to reports, there are nearly five lakh autos and one lakh taxis in the state, all of which would be brought under the system. Further, reports also suggest that the Kerala government will be providing fuel, insurance, and subsidies for vehicle owners and has been holding discussions with companies regarding the same.