Kerala’s busiest tourist centres are seeing a steady rise in clashes between app based taxi drivers and local drivers. The back and forth has made everyday travel confusing for visitors as well as residents. In the middle of this, the state is turning its attention to its own ride hailing platform Kerala Savaari and preparing a major upgrade.
A Push Toward Kerala Savaari Two Point Zero
The state believes that a more advanced version of Kerala Savaari can restore confidence among both riders and drivers. New safety tools, wider services and clearer rules are part of the plan. A report in The New Indian Express notes that the government has partnered with Kerala Police to bring their safety application Pol App into the platform. The goal is to create a safer experience for women who often travel alone during early mornings or late nights.
The integration is expected to be ready by December. After the update, women riders will be able to save three emergency contacts while booking a ride. They can also keep close contacts informed about their trip through an in app chat.
Officials say the new setup will give passengers a stronger sense of security. If someone feels unsafe, she can send an SOS to Pol App. The system is already active and linking it to Kerala Savaari will speed up the response. Once an alert is sent, the passenger gets a call within 45 seconds and her location is shared with the police. The complaint then decides the next steps. The motor vehicles department may suspend the driver’s licence or the vehicle’s registration if required.
Tackling Overcharging In Tourist Hubs
Visitors have often complained about being billed extra at popular tourist spots, especially during peak seasons. To control this, the state is working with the forest department to add eco tourism travel packages inside Kerala Savaari. The hope is that transparent pricing will reduce disputes and make travel smoother for visitors.
Officials say the relaunch has already triggered changes. Private aggregators have started lowering fares in response to the growing presence of Kerala Savaari. The service is currently active mainly in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Nearly nineteen thousand eight hundred twenty drivers are registered in Kochi and about four thousand two hundred in Thiruvananthapuram.
How Kerala Savaari Stands Apart
Kerala Savaari, Ola and Uber are now the most used ride options across the state, but they operate very differently.
Commission Structure
Kerala Savaari is the only government backed service with a fixed commission of about eight percent. This is much lower than the twenty to forty percent taken by Ola and Uber. Because of this, users often say the state app offers clearer pricing and fewer last minute cancellations. The downside is limited availability in some regions.
App Reliability
Ola and Uber cover more areas and their apps are familiar to most daily riders. Cars usually reach faster in big cities. But complaints remain common, especially sudden cancellations and sharp fare jumps during busy hours.
What A Five Kilometre Ride Costs
A short five kilometre ride within the city is usually cheaper on Kerala Savaari. The fare often stays between forty and sixty rupees. Prices remain steady even during busy hours and waiting charges are either very low or not added at all. Tolls rarely matter for such short routes.
Ola and Uber usually begin in the seventy to one hundred ten rupee range for the same distance. During high demand, the fare can rise because both platforms use surge pricing. Waiting fees are added at about one to two rupees per minute and toll charges may appear on certain routes.
