Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala chief minister Shri.Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated ‘Kerala Savari', the country's first online taxi service owned by the state government, today. Kerala Savari ensures fair and decent service to passengers and fair remuneration to auto taxi workers. This service is started by the Motor Workers Welfare Board under the leadership of the Labor Department. Kerala Savari ensures safe travel for the public at government approved fares.
Unlike other online platforms, there will be no fluctuation in fares on Kerala Savari. The situation now during the peak hours is that other online taxi companies increase the charges for services up to one and a half times. Neither passengers nor workers benefit from it. Kerala Savari only charges 8% service charge in addition to the rate set by the government. In other online taxis it is 20 to 30 percent. It has been decided to use the amount received as service charge for the implementation of this scheme and for providing promotional incentives to passengers and drivers.
One of the major issues that arise with online taxi services is that of security. Kerala Savari is a safe and reliable online service for women, children and senior citizens. This consideration has been given importance in app designing and driver registration. A police clearance certificate is mandatory for drivers joining the scheme. Proper training is also provided.
A panic button system has been introduced in the app. This button can be pressed in the event of a car accident or in any other sense of danger. One can do it completely privately. If the driver presses the panic button the passenger will not be alarmed, or if the passenger does the same, the driver will not realize this. When one presses the button, there is an option to select Police, Fire Force and Motor Vehicle Department options. If you are in such a dangerous situation that you cannot select any option, press the button and you will be directly connected to the police control room.
It has also been decided to install GPS on vehicles at a subsidized rate. This will be implemented in a phased manner. A 24-hour call center has been prepared for this purpose. A state-of-the-art call center is functioning at the District Office of the Motor Workers Welfare Board.
The call center works in such a way that all service related issues can be resolved immediately. The first phase of the project is implemented in Thiruvananthapuram city. The project will be implemented in the entire state in a flawless manner, after evaluating the first phase. Kerala Savari will also reach Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur municipal limits within a month.
