The app also has many features including panic button & call center management. Kerala Savari App offers Safe travel with no more disputes.

The Kerala Savari will begin operations with the Kerala Chief Minister Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan flagging off the vehicles of the Kerala Savari in a ceremony to be held at Kanakakkunnu Palace, Thiruvananthapuram. For this, a 24-hour call center system has been set up at the Motor Workers Welfare Board Thiruvananthapuram district office. Complaints can be reported by calling the call center number 9072272208.

A three-tier system has been set up to resolve the complaints received at the call center.Complaints received at the first level will be investigated and resolved within 24 hours.Complaints where this is not possible shall be forwarded to the second level officer within this time limit and he shall be redressed within 12 hours.Even there the unresolved complaints will be forwarded to the third level officer. His time allowance is also 12 hours. In this way, all complaints will be resolved within 48 hours. In any case, complaints that cannot be resolved at this level will be thoroughly investigated at the CEO level and resolved.

The app has many features, including a panic button that can be used in emergencies. The Kerala Savari app can be downloaded from the Play Store after the official inagurstion by Kerala CHeif Minister.

The first phase of the Kerala Savari project implemented by the government by connecting the auto-taxi networks in the state will be implemented in the Thiruvananthapuram municipality. Then, if necessary, necessary changes will be made and the scheme will be extended to the major cities of the state. The Kerala Sawari scheme is designed and implemented with the aim of providing a helping hand to the taxi auto workers who are facing many difficulties and also to provide a safe and hassle-free ride to the general public at government approved rates. In Kerala Savari, only 8% service charge will be charged along with the autotaxi fare set by the government. In other online taxi services it is above 25 percent.

It has been decided to use the eight percent amount collected as service charge for the implementation of the project and for providing promotional incentives to passengers and drivers. In all the current online taxi systems, there is a 20 to 30 percent difference between the fares received by motorists and the fares charged to passengers. There is also a situation where companies increase the charge for services up to one and a half times during peak hours. Labor Department Minister V. Shivankutty had earlier stated that there will be no such fare hike in Kerala Savari and fair wages will be ensured to the workers.

Palakkad Indian Telephone Industries is providing technical assistance to the project which is being implemented under the supervision of Motor Workers Welfare Fund Board of Labor Department with the cooperation of Planning Board, Legal Metrology, Transport, IT and Police Departments.

Service charge in hotel / restaurant bill cannot be collected from consumers by any other name; can’t be added to food bill, states CCPA order

Amid rising consumer complaints, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Monday barred hotels and restaurants from levying service charge automatically or by default in food bills and allowed customers to file complaints in case of violation.

The CCPA has issued guidelines for preventing unfair trade practices and violation of consumer rights with regard to levying of service charge.

“No hotels or restaurants shall add service charge automatically or by default in the bill,” CCPA Chief Commissioner said in the guideline.

Restaurants and hotels generally levy a service charge of 10 per cent on the food bill.

The guidelines said there should not be any collection of service charge by any other name.

No hotel or restaurant can force a consumer to pay service charge. They have to clearly inform the consumer that service charge is voluntary, optional and at consumer’s discretion.

“No restriction on entry or provision of services based on collection of service charge shall be imposed on consumers,” the guideline added.

Further, service charge cannot be collected by adding it along with the food bill and levying GST on the total amount.

If any consumer finds that a hotel or restaurant is levying service charge in violation of the guidelines, she / he can request the concerned establishment to remove it from the bill amount.

The consumers can also lodge a complaint on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), which works as an alternate dispute redressal mechanism at the pre-litigation level, by calling 1915 or through the NCH mobile app.

They can also file complaints with the Consumer Commission. The complaint can be filed electronically through the e-Daakhil portal for its speedy and effective redressal.

Moreover, the consumer can submit a complaint to the District Collector of the concerned district for investigation and subsequent proceedings by the CCPA. The complaint can also be sent to the CCPA by e-mail.

The CCPA said it has observed, through grievances registered on NCH, that hotels and restaurants are levying service charge in the bill by default without informing consumers that paying such a charge is voluntary.

“Further, service charge is being levied in addition to the total price of the food items mentioned in the menu and applicable taxes, often in the guise of some other fee or charge,” it added.

The guidelines state that a component of service is inherent in price of food and beverages offered by a restaurant or hotel.

“Pricing of the product covers both the goods and services component. There is no restriction on hotels or restaurants to set the prices at which they want to offer food or beverages to consumers.

“Thus placing an order involves consent to pay the prices of food items displayed in the menu along with applicable taxes. Charging anything other than the said amount would amount to unfair trade practices under the (Consumer Protection) Act,” the guidelines said.

The CCPA, in its guidelines, said a tip or gratuity is towards hospitality received beyond basic minimum service contracted between the consumer and the hotel management, and constitutes a separate transaction between the consumer and staff of the hotel/restaurant at the consumer’s discretion.

Only after completing the meal, a consumer is in a position to assess the quality as well as service and decide whether or not to pay a tip and if so, how much.

The decision to pay a tip by a consumer does not arise merely by entering the restaurant or placing an order.

“Therefore, service charge cannot be added in the bill involuntarily, without allowing consumers the choice or discretion to decide whether they want to pay such charge or not,” the guidelines said.

Further, any restriction of entry based on collection of service charge amounts to unfair trade practice, it added.

The government had earlier in 2017 come out with guidelines on service charge, where it had said the levy has to be voluntary and not mandatory.

According to an official statement, various cases relating to levying of service charge have also been decided by consumer commissions in favour of consumers, holding the same as an unfair trade practice and in violation of consumer rights.

The CCPA has been established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to regulate matters relating to violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements. It has been set up to promote and enforce the rights of consumers as a class.

India Today’s team was on the way to Kovalam, a top tourist destination in Kerala, to see the implementation of new restrictions in place for New Year celebrations. Police checking on the road was intensive and a large fleet of vehicles were waiting in line to be inspected.

A foreigner arrived on his scooter when the vehicles started moving. The vehicle was thoroughly checked, and the police found three bottles of alcohol. The police officers who spotted the bottles rather excitedly called their superiors, who were a little further away.

“He has three bottles on him,” one of the policemen commented. They all surrounded him to inspect the bottles. They asked him for a bill.

Steven, a Swedish national, has been running a homestay in Kovalam for four years now. He told the officers that he had forgotten the bill at the BEVCO outlet in Vellar. He requested that they let him go back to collect it.

The officers, however, were adamant that he couldn’t go back and asked him to dispose of the bottles. Instead of throwing them away, Steven poured the alcohol out of the bottles.

As he reached the third bottle, the officers stopped him, having spotted the camera of the ‘India Today’ team. They let him go collect the bill after that. Steven soon returned with the bill and was free to go.

However, the incident brings forth a major question as to how tourist-friendly Kerala is. Steven, in his four-year stay, faced several issues.

“There have been incidents. I plan on staying another year though. Some police officers are really kind and friendly, but there are instances like this too,” said Steven.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made loud promises when he said more pubs would be established in the state to boost tourism and draw more tourists in. However, if basic issues like this are not dealt with in a tourist-friendly manner, the future of Kerala tourism remains to be seen.

News Courtesy – India Today

Comments from Trivandrum Indian Group

This was the new year gift our Kerala Police gave to a foreigner who liked to celebrate his New Year peacefully in Kerala.

This happened in Kovalam, which is Kerala’s prime tourist destination and an world famous international beach destination !

What message are we giving to the world or giving to tourists who want to come here. Kerala is the 1st state to officially approve Tourism as an industry and no wonder state’s like Goa, Tamilnadu etc are far good & progressing than Kerala in tourism. We definitely need changes in policies.

Sorry to start 2022 with a negative post. But this is very important.

The vehicle was launched in Thiruvananthapuram a few days ago as part of the state government’s Caravan Tourism project.

Bharat Benz is the first to collaborate on the project. Can carry up to 4 people.