RIDING THE TURBULENT WAVE

One might bask in the glory of odd-even car experiment’s success in reducing congestion on roads in Delhi, but it is hard to deny that our public transport facilities and their management is right in the pits. I dread the possibility that as a visitor, if I end up planning to go to a city with public transport like Delhi’s, I would rather reconsider, and stay put at home. Government after government, I see no willingness to redeem us from the clutches of autowallahs’ whims and fancies in Delhi.

Every single day of a professional’s work-life in Delhi includes a quota of time kept aside to haggle with autowallahs. First of all, consider it a privilege if the driver agrees to drop you at the destination of their choice. They usually ply on routes convenient to them. Secondly, fare. This is the hardest stage of overall negotiation. The fare that we end up paying for the distance we travel throughout the day, if tabulated, would look like some local Robinhood’s extortion sheet. Finally, comes the pleading with your driver to drop you exactly where you want. If the distance is even five meters away from where exactly your autowallah imagined it in his head, you will have to walk the remaining distance.

OKAY, ENOUGH WITH THE RANT!!!

Now on to some constructive solution(s), or ‘the’ one that can be easily implemented.

As a daily commuter, I would appreciate if autos as a means of transport are regulated better. After metro ride, they are our last resort to travel the last mile to our doorstep. We have already seen how well private players have regulated cabs in almost all metropolitan cities of India. This model can be replicated for autos as well, if government intervenes, and comes up with a plan to ensure that autos are held accountable for not plying according to rules. In fact, a GPS controlled system will make autos very reliable for commuters to take at night, or odd hours. Considering how unsafe our cities are for women travelers, a GPS-based system will put everyone under scanner, thus making travel safe and easy, even to remote places.

As a daily commuter, how I wish something is done soon enough to end this misery. AMEN!

The author of this opinion article is Ms. Shivangi Singh Content Writer at PR Professionals