Visakhapatnam: In view of challenges faced by passengers arriving at Visakhapatnam railway station, Waltair division of East Coast railway has established a dedicated Rapido pickup booking facility at the station premises.
The Rapido pickup point was inaugurated by Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Lalit Bohra in the presence of senior divisional commercial manager K Pavan Kumar, divisional commercial manager Pooja Singh, station director AM Ubale, and other officials.
Rapido has been operating in Visakhapatnam city since 2018. The newly-introduced pickup facility is expected to benefit approximately 8,000 to 10,000 passengers, providing seamless last-mile connectivity from the railway station to various destinations across the city.
Speaking to the media, Lalit Bohra informed that passengers experienced delays in ride bookings from the station, particularly due to inaccurate estimated time of arrival (ETA) on various platforms. He noted that riders often being in transit resulted in longer waits despite short ETAs being displayed. To address this issue, the division established a dedicated Rapido pickup zone under the non-fare revenue (NFR) system. This facility enables better coordination between passengers and aggregator drivers, reducing waiting time and offering near-zero ETA service, allowing passengers to access rides instantly upon arrival.
The DRM further highlighted that the initiative prioritises passenger safety and convenience. A Rapido executive stated that considering the positive response and growing demand, similar pickup facilities may soon be introduced at other railway stations in the division.