New Delhi is going the Beijing way. Just a year ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi government is trying to get its unruly drivers and rash home guards to be more polite, and also speak a little English.
The government has started various courses for the city transportation staff and home guards so that they make a good first impression on the visitors.
Institutes such as the Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) have started training the drivers in batches. Over 8,000 drivers in the capital will get trained in personal hygiene to ensure they sport a fresh face with a smile and also clean feet. “We’re getting to learn how to speak English without paying anything. This is a chance for us to improve our place in society.
“We are often clueless what a foreign visitor is asking,” said Anant Mehta, an auto driver.
HIPA holds classes from 9am to 5pm every day for such drivers. There are over 25 people in each batch and the lessons continue for over an hour.
“We are teaching these people etiquette. It is turning out well. Many of them wanted to learn but nobody ever made an effort,” said a HIPA official.
The drivers are made to sit around a big round table and asked questions like how much they would charge passengers and whether they carry water in their cabs. They are taught how to impart first aid. They also attend meditation classes.
“I was frustrated initially, but am liking it now,” said Vikas Yadav, an auto driver. “Even my children are impressed with my new vocal skills.”
Many auto drivers, like Rohit Verma, feel that their speaking English will boost tourism. After all, “the auto drivers are the first to greet the foreigners at the airport,” he said. “Besides, I can now attend PTA meetings at my child’s school without feeling
embarrassed.”
The home guard association is also training guards in spoken English and etiquette for which they have roped in British Lingua, a Delhi-based English language training institute.
“Home guards and civil defence will play a key role during the games,” said an official. Apart from handling security, they will serve as hosts, tourist guides and helpdesk personnel.
“Many home guards have made excellent progress. They will make quite an impression on the foreigners,” said an official. The trained staff will be recalled just before the games to check their proficiency. To ensure that they do not forget what they have learnt, they have been given a CD and a book to revise once training ends.
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