THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday launched Kerala Savari, the first online taxi service owned by a state government, in Thiruvananthapuram. The service is modelled after other ride-hailing apps operated by multinational companies. However, the operators claimed that Kerala Savari will be cheaper and safer.
“Kerala Savari only charges 8% service charge in addition to the fare set by the government. In other online taxis, the charges are 20-30% higher. During peak hours, the other apps charge up to one-and-a-half times more,” said a statement. The service charge will be used for facilitating the scheme and providing promotional incentives to passengers and drivers.
The first phase of the project is being implemented in Thiruvananthapuram city. The services will be extended to Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur municipal limits in a month.The Motor Workers Welfare Board under the labour department is operating the service. The public can hire the autorickshaws and taxis using the Kerala Savari mobile app, which can be downloaded from Google Playstore from Thursday. The service is backed by a 24-hour call centre operated from the district office of the Motor Workers Welfare Board in Thiruvananthapuram.
The service will also help drivers who have been rendered jobless due to the popularity of online cabs. The operators said safety features have been given priority to make Kerala Savari safe and reliable for women, children and senior citizens. A police clearance certificate is mandatory for drivers joining the scheme. Proper training will be provided to them, said the statement.
The app features a panic button that can be pressed in the event of an accident or in any case of danger. It can be used by both drivers and passengers without letting each other know about it.“Pressing the button will bring up options to select Police, Fire Force and Motor Vehicle Department. If you are in a dangerous situation in which you cannot select an option, press the button and you will be directly connected to the police control room,” said the statement.It has also been decided to install GPS on vehicles at a subsidised rate. This will be implemented in a phased manner.