A.P. Tourism ties up with Rapido to offer ‘Driver-cum-Guide’ services to tourists

In a move that can give the tourism sector in Andhra Pradesh a boost, the State government has collaborated with the ride-hailing service Rapido to launch the ‘Driver-cum-Guide’ model.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between the representatives of Rapido and the Tourism Department at the recent CII summit held in Visakhapatnam. The new services will be rolled out in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati soon.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh, APTDC Chairman N. Balaji, Special Chief Secretary Ajay Jain, Tourism Department Managing Director and A.P. Tourism Authority CEO Amrapali Kata and Rapido co-founder Pawan Guntupalli were present during the signing of the MoU. 

As part of the new initiative, the drivers with high ratings on the Rapido platform will undergo training sessions by the Tourism Department, beginning in December. The training will cover key aspects such as the State’s history, culture, hospitality and safety. 

In a statement on Thursday, Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh said that this initiative was the first of its kind in India.

“Apart from tourist autos and cabs, detailed information on the tourism circuits will be available on the Rapido app. To make services more convenient for tourists, special co-branded helpdesks will be set up at airports, railway stations and bus stands. The initiative is expected to increase the income of cab and auto drivers too,” the Minister said.

Leveraging technology, the project is being implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, the statement said.