To venture into bike, car rentals and pod hotels
Margao railway station.
MARGAO
Beware. The Konkan Railway has drawn up ambitious plan to tap the tourist footfall at the Margao railway station by venturing into bike and car rentals, besides pod hotels for the benefit of the tourists visiting the state.
Presently, the transport requirements of tourists disembarking at the Margao railway station is met by the tourist taxis and black and yellow taxis, besides rickshaws and motorcycle pilots. Similarly, hotel accommodation of tourists is met by the scores of hotels dotting the commercial capital.
In fact, Chairman and Managing Director of Konkan Railway Corporation, Santosh Kumar Jha on Monday said the KR has already floated an e-tender inviting bid from prospective parties to run the bike and car rentals from the Margao railway station. He further said the KR will set up EV charging points at five stations on the Konkan Railway to provide charging facility for the Electric vehicles.
To tap the huge tourism potential, Jha said the KR has developing tourist package in the coming season by starting bike and car rental facility. “There’s lot of craze amongst the youth for car and bike rentals. We have floated a tender an e-tender inviting bids from prospective parties to implement the car and bike rentals. Once the bid is finalized, online booking will be accepted for the car and bike rentals”, he said.
Disclosing plans to set up a couple of hotels on the Konkan railway route, Jha said there’s lot of demand from tourists at Margao. “Hence, we have finalized plans to set up Pod hotels at Margao, which are in huge demand of tourists, especially the students, who do not want to spend a lot. The concept of pod hotels is gaining popularity. I have plans to have these facilities on the Konkan railway route and Margao for the traveling passengers”, he said.
Saying the entire Konkan region is receiving lot of passengers during monsoons, given that the region is nestled between the Ocean and the Sahyadri ranges, Jha said the KR has drawn up plans to develop tourist facilities along the route with the help of Ministry of Tourism.
“Very soon, I will open a lake view restaurant at the Karmali station facing the picturesque Karmali lake. In the next months, I have plans to open new executive lounges along the Konkan belt”, he said.
