Over 2 lakh people register on BevQ as Kerala introduces virtual queue for liquor sale

As the liquor shops reopened for online purchase in Kerala on Thursday, over two lakh people downloaded and registered on the BevQ application within hours of it being live on Google Play Store. BevQ is an app for the virtual queue system which was introduced by the state government to control crowds in front of the liquor shops in Kerala amid lockdown.

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About 1,82,000 users registered in the initial two hours

The Kerala-based Faircode technologies, the company that developed the BevQ app, informed that about 1,82,000 users had registered on the app in the initial two hours of its launch on Wednesday evening.

"Approx 50,000 users registered between 2 AM to 6:30 AM on Thursday. The token booking for May 28 was extended up to 9 AM on Thursday. The booking was extended for the users who were not able to book a token yesterday," said Naveen George, Chief Financial Officer, Faircode technologies.

George further added, "The App is live on Google Play Store. It will take some time till the App is indexed by Google and available via search. The users can try to search using the application using 'pub: Kerala State Beverages Corporation' in the play store".

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Registering on 'BevQ'

The users can register on the application with their name and pin code. The app then sends an OTP for verification purposes. After that, the user can add his choice of liquor to the cart and make the payment. The app then gives the detail of the shop along with the time slot allotted and a QR code. The customer has to go to the allotted liquor shop and produce the e-token which will be scanned at the outlet to verify the purchase. Bars are also allowed to sell the liquor as a parcel through the counters following the same system.

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SMS facility for people with no smartphones

Further, an SMS facility to book liquor has been introduced for those without smartphones. The booking can be done from 6 AM to 10 PM and liquor sales are allowed from 9 AM to 5 PM.

Following the social distancing norms, only five people are allowed in front of the counter at a time. Meanwhile, police gave clear instructions that cases will be slapped against those entering the liquor shops without the mandatory app generated token.

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