Over 60 Bangalore taxi drivers learn how to communicate with foreign tourists, ensure safety of women clients, even interact with gays and
lesbians.
Your first mile is likely to be your best mile. Tourists visiting the city will now be greeted with more warmth and professionalism by the first guide to any destination: the chauffeur.
City chauffeurs ferrying tourists are now being trained in soft skills. They are learning how to talk fluently in English, Kannada and Hindi and even in foreign languages. They will also ensure safety of tourists and be their guide.
Tourists can, in fact, demand the certificate and badge of trained chauffeurs given by the Karnataka Tourism Forum (KTF), an NGO, which the chauffeurs earn after their day-long training.
Jagdeesh C, 31, a driver for 12 years, recollecting his interaction with a client recently, said, “He was a 92-year-old hearing-impaired man from France. It was difficult to communicate with him, tell him to inform me of any discomfort or when he wanted to use the rest room during the long journey. This training will help me deal with such clients.’’ He was taking his client from Bangalore airport to Kochi.
He was a driver with a government agency, but left the job to learn more about tourism. Today, he says he is happy to be able to help guests. This training is an added advantage, he says.
“We have been trained on how to talk to foreigners. If the client is a woman, we should maintain some distance but also keep a watch on her for her safety. It’s the same with couples. Further, we are told how to make senior citizens comfortable. We have been directed not to take tourists to lonely places and inform police in case of suspicion. First-aid training is part of the package so they can react better in case of an accident,’’ he said.
Like Jagdeesh, 60 chauffeurs have been trained in two batches in March. They are from 200 travel and tour agencies which are members of KTF. Drivers point out that this training will help those who haven’t studied beyond tenth class.
Interestingly, they have also been trained on how to behave with gays and lesbians. Special training is also being imparted on handling drug addicts.
M Ravi, managing director, Arjun Tours and Travels, said, “Drivers are ambassadors for travellers. We have told them basic things like wearing clean socks, using deodorant, keeping bottled water and tissues in the taxi, and so on.’’
Apart from chauffeurs, bus drivers have also been groomed in basic etiquette — on being presentable, how to maintain cars and how to use GPS technology.
KTF senior coordinator Shyna Shaji said that this has been introduced to make Karnataka the leading tourist destination. They have been trained by Mind Skills and Venture Plus. The training is supported by the state transport department. As a next step, they will train home-stay owners on how to treat clients.
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