Empowering taxi drivers to save lives through tourism safety programme

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

A Tourism Safety Programme was successfully organised in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Wednesday evening by the union Ministry of Tourism (MoT), in collaboration with the Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation (ATDF) and the United Cool Cab Taxi union at Kamalnayan Bajaj Hospital (KBH).

More than 200 tourist taxi drivers from the city and nearby areas participated in the 2-hours long initiative, which focused on imparting essential life-saving skills. Expert doctors and medical staff from the hospital provided hands-on training on managing medical emergencies and delivering immediate assistance to tourists in critical situations.

Director of India Tourism, Malti Dutta spoke on the occasion, while KBH’s expert doctors Dr George Fernandes and Dr Ajay Rotte guided the tourist drivers - the first responders and shared valuable insights during the session, stressing the importance of basic life-saving techniques, prompt action, and calm decision-making in emergency situations. They appreciated the initiative and encouraged drivers to use the training responsibly to help save lives when immediate medical support is unavailable.

ATDF President Jaswant Singh noted that taxi drivers are frequently the first point of contact for tourists and play a crucial role in building trust through good conduct, responsibility, and timely emergency assistance.

President of the taxi union and project chairman, Mohd. Ilyas, proposed the vote of thanks. India Tourism officials Snehal Patil, Krishna Jadhav, and Shaikh Saad made special efforts to ensure the success of the programme.