Citizen1 asks the auto driver- "M.G.Road hogtheera?"
Auto Driver - Grunts ... "Illa hogalla"
Scene repeats with citizen 2 asking - "Indira Nagar?"
Auto Driver 2 - Gives a wry smile and just keeps moving.
This is a very common situation in Bangalore. I am sure Bangaloreans would agree with me. And it frustrates one so much, especially when we are in a hurry and want to get to some place at a given time, instead of being able to just take an auto and go our way, we end up walking about 15 - 20 minutes until we come across an auto driver who deigns to take us to where we want to go. And how??? -- After a great amount of haggling, at a 1 and a half meter rate!!!! Was it worth all this effort?
Its much more easier and feasible to just take a bus and keep moving. Sometimes I wonder, why don't the autos have a board, just like buses, stating that this auto will only go to this particular place. We wouldnt then even bother stopping and asking them whether they would please take us here...
I am sure every city has something to say about their auto facilities!
So whose fault is this? The auto drivers, when asked for an explanation, come up with the following reasons:
1. One ways on that road.
2. Too much of traffic on that side.
3. We will not get a return fare, so pay us one and a half.
So where do we go from here? The auto drivers too have a point here. They lose out on their income because of not getting a return fare, because of having to take round about routes due to the huge number of one ways that have been implemented, and also, because of having to wait for ages due to the huge traffic jams that happen at peak hours.
Shouldn't we be doing something about this issue? The population in Bangalore is growing by the day, so the number of one ways too cannot be avoided...
Will it help if we have a metering system which runs on waiting? This system is there at present, and is used when we ask the auto to wait for a few minutes while we finish off our personal work and come back. However, if it could also be used while the traffic jam is holding the auto up, the auto drivers might not think twice to take us to where ever we want them to.
Does any one have any solutions? What else could be done to better this situation? Also, this might not just be in Bangalore.
This blog is all about ...
- Aparna
- Any idea/thought travelling through my mind, strong enough to make me sit and write all about it... Also food, my cooking, and any new foodie joints that is worth writing about.
6 comments:
hey..welcome back.. and hey, the bangalore auto problem is nothing compared to the chennai auto problem and in chennai, its not even the roads..its just the over-confidence that people have no choice.. no meter system and absolutely unthinkable prices.. every auto trip is an experience all by itself considering the amount we have to haggle with the auto drivers..
well, since that issue is totally out of hand, lets consider the bangalore issue.. i guess if the karnataka govt does something about the narrow roads by building all the flyovers and the road extensions they've been planning for years it would be a total releif... really.. i guess the major crisis bangalore is facing right now is the roads and something drastic has to be done about them..
though hys is also just developing, chandrababu naidu did a good thing and all the new roads constructed around the hitech city area are really wide and nice..it helps the traffic sooo much!:)
haha..i guess my comment is long enough to be a post by itself!!;) sorry about that bts;)
Hey - u dont need to be sorry and all that :P ..
How does this sound -
More roads and flyovers means - More tree cutting in bangalore!!!
:(. That is a concern too..
What say -
1. Train or educate the auto drivers....
2. Be fair to them by having meters that run during waiting times exceeding 25 seconds.....
haha.. you know what "educating the auto drivers" option can kinda be ruled out.. its not going to happen anytime soon.. a subway might be a good idea..make everone take the local train and hope that the roads would be free. waiting meters are kinda tricky.. see, not all people who want to use the auto have short-time things to do and i do think that some automen atleast in blore are considerate enough to wait for a while if you agree to pay them extra.. they do it in chennai too.. maybe the train option is a good thing..:)
Garls- Plz wait. Let me pen down my two cents. Our BTs madam told me when I was in Blore this time taht the auto charge from MG Road to RT Nagar White House would be around Rs 40 and not more, and that she woudl get me a great bargain and made me miss two or 3 autos and finally som idiot of an auto man came who said he would turn on his meter, and he did, and when I landed at RT Nagar, he said it was past 9 pm and he asked me fr double the rate. THe moral- there were 2 other auto men who were willing to come for flat rate Rs 45 or 50, and our madam spoilt it. Who is to be blamed? I think its BTS who is to be blamed. People like BTS jus shout about social issues.. but do not a tinsel. Useless tinsels. Huh. Hmph.
The movement of autos is random, whereas the buses follow a timetable and route. Slight structure can be brought to where the autos head. They can have a board on top that reads N/S and E/W to show where the final prefered destination lies wrt the start. Unconditional autos don't display anything. :)
We might have to educate commuters on our map. :) Drivers would know just shown one or they can always use a compass.
@Anonymous: I'm sorry to hear that. Were you there when this happened?
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