Namma Metro has brought relief to thousands of commuters, but auto drivers are reporting less business. Earlier, cabs had affected their business. Now, it is the metro.
Auto drivers like Shivanna R. from Basaveshwarnagar have been losing out on several regular customers since Monday. “A majority of the customers, who are office-goers, would hire autos to M.G. Road. After the metro started on Saturday, they are boarding autos but getting off at the nearest metro station. Our long-distance trips have been affected,” he explained.
Another auto driver Syed Kasim, who drives in the Central Business District, also complained of a fall in the number of long-distance trips. While he would do 10 long-distance trips earlier, he now gets only three. “After cabs became cheaper, our business dipped. Metro is even cheaper and a natural choice for passengers,” he said.
Navya Gowda, manager of a store on M.G. Road who travels from Vijayanagar to M.G. Road, said, “I used to spend nearly Rs. 160 on a one-way commute by cab. Now, I spend just Rs. 19 and take the same amount of time on travel, which includes walking from the station to home and office as well.”
Ravindra, a software engineer whose office is located near Cubbon Park, commutes from Attiguppe. He said travelling by the metro is economical. “I used to travel by bus and auto, and pay Rs. 80 one way. Now I spend less than Rs. 20 and it is extremely convenient,” he said.
Murthy S., an auto driver, said, “There is no point in cribbing. Instead of doing five or six long-distance trips, we can target 10-12 short trips a day.”
