Rickshaw and taxi drivers given English lessons (From Asian Image)

Rickshaw and taxi drivers given English lessons

3:07pm Monday 25th January 2010

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Thousands of taxi and rickshaw drivers are being given English lessons to help them understand visitors during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi this October.

Gurgoan, just six miles south of the capital, is considered one of the best cities in India to live and work in, and the local administration is expecting many tourists during the event..

Around 3,500 taxi drivers and 8,000 auto-rickshaw drivers are being trained.

The Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) in the city has been selected to train the participating drivers, whose credentials will be put up on the tourism ministry website so they can easily be contacted.

Rajni Shekri Sibbal, the institute’s director, told an Indian news agency: “These drivers will be our ambassadors, as foreign guests would have to deal with them as soon as they reach Delhi airport.

”This exercise will ensure courteous and friendly behaviour of auto and taxi drivers with the foreigners coming here.”

The drivers will also learn first aid and stress management, and will be given with two, three, or four stars according to their performance during the training sessions.

”We are imparting training in speaking English, stress management, first aid and the methods of practising yoga while sitting in a vehicle. The drivers will be provided four, three and two stars as per their performance during the training,” the director added.

”After successfully completing their training, the driver’s name, contact number and vehicle number will be made available on the websites of our tourism ministry, Delhi Police and HIPA, so anybody can contact them easily.”

The Commonwealth Games will be held in New Delhi from October 3 to October 14.

By Dielle D’Souza

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