Government Authorised Rental Car Agencies in Kochi, Kerala

There are plenty of taxi operators and service providers which offers cabs with drivers as well as self-drive rental cars. However, when it comes to self-drive rental cars, majority of the operators are not licensed operators. Government started giving licenses for self-drive rental car service only a few years ago and there are only a limited number of agencies which could obtain a license by following the stringent rules from the authorities. Below is the complete list of government authorized self-drive car rental agencies in Kerala:

Licensed Car Rental Agencies in Kochi, Kerala

Below is the complete list of government authorized self-drive car rental agencies in the city of Kochi in Kerala:

IndusGo

The biggest player in the self-drive car rental market in Kochi as well as overall Kerala. IndusGo is part of Indus Motors, which is the largest Maruti dealer in India. IndusGo has a wide network in the state and so they offer the best service and support throughout the state. If you are looking for an agency which has a service and support network across Kerala, the IndusGo is your best option. Since they have dealerships and service centers across Kerala, you can approach one of their service centres just in case you land into any problem with your rental car from them. Read more at https://www.indusgo.in/

Zoomcar

Zoomcar is one of the most established self-drive rental car service provider in the country. They are technologically ahead of others and have a strong network in India. However, they obtained a license to operate in Kerala only recently and they are catching up fast in Kerala with their number of cars increasing fast. Also, they are building a service network in the state. Check out more details at the official website of Zoomcar - https://www.zoomcar.com

TranzCar

This is another licensed self-drive rental car company in Kerala. At the time of writing this (May 2019), they have a fleet of 125 cars which include premium and luxury cars like Benz S Class. Tranzcars obtained their license to operate self-drive rental cars very early when the government started issuing such licenses in Kerala. Find out more about TranzCar rental services at their official website https://www.tranzcars.com/

AVS Rent A Car

This Kochi based self-drive car rental company is a government approved self-drive car operator with a fleet of more than 50 cars. Company assures best rates in the industry and excellent customer support with a team of multi-lingual support team. AVS began its journey in the rental car business in 2016 with a team of 5 directors who have been in the travel industry for quite some time. They offer 20% discount voucher for first time customers when they sign up for their Newsletter on the website. So it may be worth giving a try! Read more at https://avscars.in

Sach Cabs

This is a relatively new player in the industry. This Kochi based company is an initiative by 2 women entrepreneurs named Valsa A S and Chandini Bobby. If you are looking for a self-drive car in Ernakulam - Cochin area, you may consider Sach Cabs for your local travel. Even though there is relatively low web presence and have a limited number of reviews on the web, all of the public reviews suggest good service and support from Sach Cabs team. Read more at https://sachcabs.com/

EVM Rental Cars

EVM is a well established car dealer in Kerala with a strong portfolio of support and dealer presence. They are a new player in the self-drive car rental services in Kerala but considering their track record, they are expected to grab a serious role in this business. While writing this article, they are still building up their network and so we don't have a lot of information to share. But be assured that we will be sharing more details here as soon as we find out.

Transportation Options in Kochi

Anyone visiting Kerala has a few options for travel within the state:

1. Public transport buses.

The bus services include the state operated buses and privately owned buses. Every city and village in Kerala is well connected either buy the state buses or private buses or both. However, majority of the local buses are over crowded and tourists may find it difficult to travel with a lot of luggage. Some of the tourist destinations are connected by the state-owned air conditioned buses, which are usually referred to as Low-Floor A/C buses. You may get advance seat reservation as well.

2. Taxi Services.

you will find plenty of taxi operators in every destination, especially near the railway stations and airport. You can easily get a taxi from anywhere except during the nights and peak hours. Taxis are generally safe, however, solo lady passengers are adviced to take some common-sense precautions while hiring a taxi and travelling in the late hours.

3. Trains.

While most districts in Kerala are connected by long-distance trains, it is not an option when it comes to travelling to local places. You may depend on the trains to reach the main stations in Kerala but to travel within the state, you may have to depend on taxis, buses or autos.

4. Autorickshaw.

The tuk-tuk service, commonly referred as "auto" or "autorickshaw", is widely used in every location in Kerala for small distance, quick rides. They are usually used for very short distance travels like 1-5 km. Even though the autorickshaws are legally required to offer a metered service, in many places, they charge an estimated amount, which can be significantly higher for foreign passengers.

Risks of hiring a self-drive car from a private agency without a govt. license

There are plenty of car operators who give their private cars on rent with or without a driver. Many of these cars are cars owned by an individual who are hired by the agencies temporarily and give it on rent without any legal documentation. When you hire cars from such agencies, you may have to hire your important documents like passport and also, they may demand a signed, blank cheque as a guarantee. The cheque and documents will be returned when you return the car. They charge a relatively low fee compared to other licensed operators. However, there is a huge risk involved in hiring cars from such unauthorised agencies. If you get into an accident, you will be in deep trouble. Such accidents may not be even covered by insurance and you may end up paying a lot of money to recover the car. The agency will simply demand you to pay a huge amount for repairs and damages.

Until a few years ago, people who needed self-drive rental cars in Kochi didn't have many choices but to go for unauthorised operators since there were no legally operated self-drive rental cars services in the state. Now, the government started issuing licenses and you can see a full list of licensed operators above.

It is strongly recommended that you go for one of the above licensed rental car operators instead of hiring a driver-less car from an un-authorised company and take risks.