Tamil Nadu - Chennai

These ‘tourist-friendly’ autos are raring to go

— PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI

Adding colour: A “tourist-friendly” autorickshaw.

CHENNAI: Tourists arriving in Chennai will soon have the pleasure of travelling by “tourist-friendly autorickshaws”.

Introduced as part of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation’s (TTDC) campaign ‘Virundhinar Potrudhum, Virundhinar Potrudhum’, friendly autorickshaw drivers were identified and imparted training, since they are the first point of interface with the tourists.

Tourism Department officials told The Hindu that special permission was obtained from the Transport Department to paint a distinctive colour to help spot the vehicles. They sport the insignia of the TTDC and the paintings of tourist attractions in and around Chennai.

The officials explained that the telephone numbers of the auto drivers would be available at the TTDC’s reception officer at the Central railway station, the corporate office of the TTDC to facilitate discerning tourists to seek the assistance of the tourist-friendly autorickshaw.

“We have sought the help of the District Collectors to identify friendly auto drivers, whose services could be utilised, and introduce similar autos at the district level,” a senior official added.

As part of its efforts to attract more weekend revellers and tourists at the boating yards in around Chennai, especially at Mudaliarkuppam on the East Coast Road, the TTDC has decided to set up a “house boat” under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. Modelled on the lines of Kerala and Kashmir boat houses, it will have a well-equipped kitchen and furnished bedroom for two persons, a sit out for accommodating not less than 15 persons with amenities like video games and other indoor games.

A mini conference facility for making the boat house commercially viable is also on the cards to wooInformation Technology sector companies to hold their events.

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