Konkan Railway trains auto, taxi drivers to be tourist guides

In an effort to make the travel of tourists better and more comfortable after they alight at stations on the Konkan Railway route, tourist guides sourced from local taxi and autorickshaw drivers will be stationed at select stations. Railway minister Suresh Prabhu announced the commissioning of 10 such tourist guides at Kankavali station.

Local autorickshaw and taxi operators are the first point of contact for tourists when they alight at a railway station, and hence, can provide the right information to tourists and also earn some additional income if they are trained to be guides, said KR officials.

The interested operators at select stations are being trained by the Konkan Railway in association with the state tourism department, and then issued identity cards.

The concept has been extended to Madgaon station in Goa too, where 73 autorickshaw and taxi operators have been trained as tourist guides. Konkan Railway has decided to replicate it at other major stations on its route soon.