Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has launched a free autorickshaw service for residents at the designated beach road area.
The two-way service starts from the Coastal Battery to Sagarnagar via RK Beach, Park Hotel Junction, Lawson's Bay Colony, Tenneti Park, and ends at Jodugullapalem.
On the beach road section, 10 electric rickshaws are run at set intervals. Priority is given to the elderly, pregnant or physically challenged passengers. The service is available from 9:30 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm.
Additionally, on Sundays, the service is offered from 9:30 am to 6 pm. The service is closed on Sundays in the second half of the month.
The aim is to promote electric vehicles at tourist centres and offer free service to the underprivileged. The vehicle driver gets a wage of around 15,000 per month.
The corporation's e-charging service facilities will be used to charge the e-vehicles, and each one will be geo-tagged so that its location can be monitored. "Citizens can also track the services of the blue and white-coloured vehicles."
Autorickshaw driver Srinivas Rao stated, "There can be three passengers. Overloading is not allowed.”
