Motorised rickshaw drivers in the Indian capital will be trained to be courteous and articulate by the country’s tourism ministry ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games, according to a newspaper report on Wednesday.
New Delhi is preparing to host more than 100,000 foreign visitors during the Oct. 3-14 event and the city is hoping to use the international gathering to show itself off as a major global destination.
The DNA newspaper reported that 2,500 taxi drivers had already undergone the programme, that also includes lessons in spoken English, first-aid, road safely and disaster management.
Subsequently, more than 8,000 auto rickshaw drivers would be trained over the next one year, the paper reported.
Auto rickshaws are small three-wheeler vehicles and one of the chief modes of transport in many parts of South and East Asia.
“If tourism in this country has to succeed the service to the tourists has to improve across the board, starting from drivers of taxies and auto rickshaws who are generally the first interactive points for foreigners,” tourism secretary Sujit Banerjee told the paper.
“Often, the first impression they create is the last impression. The image of India that we strive to portray to a foreigner depends to a large degree on how good the driver of a taxi or auto rickshaw is who picks them up from the airport or railway station.”
Each auto driver would be paid 200 rupees ($4.14) per day to partly off-set wage losses while attending the programme, the paper added.
Source: Reuters
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