Urban India and auto-rickshaws are synonymous with each other. The symbol of the loud, chaotic conundrum that is the Indian City. As Indian cities grow unchecked and with minimal planning, auto-rickshaws are fast turning into inevitable evils.
I do not doubt the importance of para-transit. It is extremely important in the transport network of any city, but trouble brews when it becomes the mainstay of the transport system of any city. Office going population in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi is increasingly dependent on auto-rickshaws to travel long distances from their homes to workplaces. This means that autos are almost never ready to travel shorter distances, like the nearest public transport node like a bus-stop, train station or metro station.
In smaller metros like Ahmedabad where public transport has never been the first choice of the public, autos almost always want to charge exorbitantly. Fares are revised regularly, and changes is hardly ever returned to customers. Autos do not want short-distance passengers. In cities like Mumbai, a single passenger per auto is a common occurrence and hence, causing an increase in per capita road space occupied. Increase in the number of autos in these cities is one of the causes of traffic jams during peak hours.
And don't even get me started on the traffic sense of these auto drivers. Every morning I leave home with a resolution (irrespective of the city I am in at that point of time, as I have been in a frequently relocating phase of my life for quite some time now) that I shall not lose my temper on an auto driver and spoil my day, but I end up doing just that - losing my cool and ending up quarreling with one auto driver or another. Most of them drive badly, talk on cell phones while driving, and in Tier II cities like Baroda, their legs act as indicators for turning; the left leg juts out of the auto to indicate a left turn and likewise for the right.
The most important crisis here is road safety, and there needs to be a strict procedure of obtaining licenses for auto-drivers, which should be renewed on a regular basis. I propose a biennial exam to renew licenses, and the driving test should include road behaviour lessons as well as traffic rules. At the same time there needs to be a stress for more comfortable public transport, targeting the middle class office-going population. The introduction of AC buses in Mumbai has been a positive step in this regard. Also, auto unions have to be regulated, and fare revision should be supervised. The helpline is a great step against the rude behaviour of auto drivers, but surely more needs to be done in that regard.
Finally, I feel alternative modes of transport need to be thought of by policy makers and needs to be included in the Transport Policy specific to each city. There needs to be an understanding that options apart from autos, like cycles on hire or pedestrianization of certain streets, like the ones connecting the local train stations and the arterial roads in Mumbai. Entrepreneurs should seriously consider developing a business model for para-transit options in a city. Lastly, there needs to be an awareness drive for sustainable, faster and affordable para-transit options in Indian cities.
I do not doubt the importance of para-transit. It is extremely important in the transport network of any city, but trouble brews when it becomes the mainstay of the transport system of any city. Office going population in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi is increasingly dependent on auto-rickshaws to travel long distances from their homes to workplaces. This means that autos are almost never ready to travel shorter distances, like the nearest public transport node like a bus-stop, train station or metro station.
In smaller metros like Ahmedabad where public transport has never been the first choice of the public, autos almost always want to charge exorbitantly. Fares are revised regularly, and changes is hardly ever returned to customers. Autos do not want short-distance passengers. In cities like Mumbai, a single passenger per auto is a common occurrence and hence, causing an increase in per capita road space occupied. Increase in the number of autos in these cities is one of the causes of traffic jams during peak hours.
And don't even get me started on the traffic sense of these auto drivers. Every morning I leave home with a resolution (irrespective of the city I am in at that point of time, as I have been in a frequently relocating phase of my life for quite some time now) that I shall not lose my temper on an auto driver and spoil my day, but I end up doing just that - losing my cool and ending up quarreling with one auto driver or another. Most of them drive badly, talk on cell phones while driving, and in Tier II cities like Baroda, their legs act as indicators for turning; the left leg juts out of the auto to indicate a left turn and likewise for the right.
The most important crisis here is road safety, and there needs to be a strict procedure of obtaining licenses for auto-drivers, which should be renewed on a regular basis. I propose a biennial exam to renew licenses, and the driving test should include road behaviour lessons as well as traffic rules. At the same time there needs to be a stress for more comfortable public transport, targeting the middle class office-going population. The introduction of AC buses in Mumbai has been a positive step in this regard. Also, auto unions have to be regulated, and fare revision should be supervised. The helpline is a great step against the rude behaviour of auto drivers, but surely more needs to be done in that regard.
Finally, I feel alternative modes of transport need to be thought of by policy makers and needs to be included in the Transport Policy specific to each city. There needs to be an understanding that options apart from autos, like cycles on hire or pedestrianization of certain streets, like the ones connecting the local train stations and the arterial roads in Mumbai. Entrepreneurs should seriously consider developing a business model for para-transit options in a city. Lastly, there needs to be an awareness drive for sustainable, faster and affordable para-transit options in Indian cities.
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