City cops to make life easy for tourists

Visakhapatnam: In a step to create a favourable atmosphere for the tourists in Vizag, the city police are set to launch 'tourist police.' The initiative will come into effect from the New Year. Tourists who arrive in the city can approach a team of cops dedicated for them at the Beach Road and seek their assistance in case of any requirement. They can approach the team in case if they lose a passport or miss their valuables or money or any other emergency requirement.

Suggestions will also be given to the tourists to opt for prepaid cab service in order to avoid paying anything extra charged by the cab or auto-rickshaw drivers.

Soon, kiosks related to information pertaining to the city will come up at different points to make vacation easy for the tourists. "The tourist-friendly endeavour is taken up in coordination with district administration, GVMC, tourism and revenue departments. There are many benefits in making the city more tourist-friendly as once the tourist footfall rises, it will eventually generate revenue and thereby increase employment opportunities for the people," explains Ch. Srikanth, Commissioner of Police.

This apart, the police intend to ease traffic woes across the city by involving volunteers. Those who are interested in volunteering for the move will be given dedicated training before absorbing them into the exercise. Students and employees belonging to diverse backgrounds can contribute to the endeavour. "Based on the time availability, their service would be utilised for traffic regulation," elaborates the Commissioner of Police. With 2023 fast approaching, the city police devise ways to strengthen friendly policing and bring people closer to them.