Copyright thehindu
Kerala, which had launched the first government-controlled app-based taxi service in the country, is all set to experiment with a new integrated multimodal online transport app, enabling seamless travel for passengers across water metro, metro, bus, auto, and taxis in the State. Partnered with Moving Tech Innovations Ltd, a sister company of the payments firm Juspay, the new ride-hailing platform to be rolled out by the State government will bring metro, water metro, bus, taxi and auto services on a single platform, providing the passenger a cost-effective seamless public transport system in one go. Speaking to The Hindu, Rajiv Ravindran, Director of Growth at Namma Yatri, the open mobility application developed by Moving Tech Innovations in Karnataka, which provides the technological support in Kerala, said this was a major step in redefining the ride-hailing experience in the country. This ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce)-based platform lets passengers make use of all modes of public transport systems linked to the app for a single ride-hailing to reach the destination. For instance, a passenger who plans to go to the Nedumbassery airport from Thripunithura in Kochi could use an auto/taxi/bus to reach the nearest metro terminal. After alighting from the metro at Aluva, the passenger could reach the airport based on his preference of available mode of transport services (auto/taxi/bus) from the metro station at Aluva with the same ride PIN number. The highlight of the integrated platform is that all these multi-mode transport systems linked with the app could be used in a single ride-hailing. Further, talks are under way to include Indian Railways too in the app service, said Mr. Ravindran. They also have plans to provide ambulance services for non-emergency purposes through the app. All these services would be available on the Kerala Savari platform, the online taxi service owned by the State government. Although the Kerala Savari couldn’t make headway in the first stage, the model, replicated by States like Karnataka (Namma Yatri), Tamil Nadu (Chennai One), Kolkata (Yatri Sathi), and Odisha (Odisha Yatri) was successful in those regions. The Bharat Taxi, a partnership-based cab service model set to be rolled out by the Centre in Delhi from November, also took inspiration from the ‘Kerala Savari’. The Labour department of the Kerala government has entered into a tripartite agreement with Moving Tech Innovations by replacing the previous service provider. The new reloaded integrated app will be launched on December 16 in Kochi in the first phase. As a prelude to this, the Labour department will flag off the revamped Kerala Savari auto/cab service in Thiruvananthapuram on November 4 with attractive features.
