College life is not just classrooms and canteens, but also struggling with the over-crowded buses, fleecing autos and enjoying a free ride on a classmate's bike or car. Commuting is an important component of our education it can affect our academics itself given its influence on the mood swings.
“Transport majorly impacts students as it determines whether they go to college or not.” says Geeta, a college student. “The time and finances spent on travel renders it a crucial element in our lives, deciding emotional and physical activity in the morning, events for the day, adherence to college timings, and the likes.”
Students predominantly travel by buses, share-autos, metro trains, private transport and occasionally car-pools or bike-pools. Bus passes ease long travels, as do passes for metro trains. Students customise travel options to their needs and wants, including availability, affordability, cleanliness and privacy.
College students most recurrently use buses, for their low cost and availability. “Buses are convenient, abundant, comfortable and useful to everyone,” says Nomitha, student at Loyola Academy. Purnima Iyer, degree student, though she prefers buses, hates “getting on to a rushed, crowded bus. People stamp your feet and push you around.” Many choose to dangerously “footboard”, cram into crowds, or spend extra for a metro or AC bus.
The MMTS appeals to college-goers for its cost and comfort. Praneet, a college student, likes to read on his train journeys, opining that train journeys are “not as shaky as buses, and no constant shifting is involved.” The MMTS is a favourite for students travelling far. “I live far off, and the MMTS' connectivity has been useful,” informs Kinjal Saurabh, college student.
Jayanthi, degree student, favours share-autos for their affordability and frequency. They are “everywhere, comfortable, cheap and not crowded like buses are,” she says.
Namitha, degree student, agrees, “share autos are very available, cheap - and unlike buses or the MMTS - are safe.” Car-pools and bike-pools have increased in frequency, and students find such travel-pools exciting.
“My friends and me keep talking, have fun and even make stops to eat,” says Pearl, a college student. Yasaswi, college student, nods, “I prefer travelling by my bike. When I use my car, lot of people get in and out. It's fun, but expensive.”
Deepu Myneni, student at University of Hyderabad (UoH) thinks that the accessibility of buses might be dwindling, “There are thousands of students who depend heavily on the student bus pass but the RTC has only increased the number of new metro and AC buses where student passes are invalid.” Purnima wishes that “colleges provided separate bus facilities to their students.”
The many opinions are inconsistent as the practicality of each mode of transport is relative to each student.
Their decisions are broad, and have become increasingly intelligent and practical, alongside their hope for a beneficial and carefree college life.
