The daily commute is an activity most of us cannot shy away from. The streets of the city clog up with traffic on a daily basis as people commute from their homes to work in cars, autos, buses, cabs and the occasional metro ride. With public transport still unable to provide the last minute connectivity, many denizens are left at the mercy of auto and cab drivers. The recent rape of a 25 year-old in Delhi in an Uber cab has raised multiple questions, not just about using cabs but also about the state of mass transport. Do commuters in Bangalore feel that their daily commute has improved in the past few years? Has the advent of the metro and extension of bus routes ensured that people can take up public transport without hassles? Is travelling by autos and cabs safe in the city?
For Prakash Kumar, an IT professional, who works at Manyata, the volvo buses are the best option for a commute. “I seldom use a cab or a rickshaw. I have a monthly volvo pass. It is comfortable and saves me the hassle of an argument with a rickshaw driver. I take cabs when I go to the airport and have felt that radio cab services are usually good, though you do find the occasional rude driver.”
He adds, “For any city to prosper, I feel public transport must be enhanced. I hope that the suburban rail network comes to existence in the city. In the long run, it will ensure that people can commute from the suburbs and do not need to worry about out finding a place near the city centre to stay. It will help reduce the pressures on the city centre and will also ensure that the roads are not clogged with traffic.”
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Anupama Singh is an architect who travels 15 kilometers from her house in Dairy circle to her office at Frazer town. “I find myself at the mercy of rickshaw drivers, who charge astronomical sums, do not ply by meter and are rude to women. I hope the public transport system improves. I usually find cabs safe though they are often late. I am not bothered by them asking for extra on the metre, but some of them are extremely rude and keep on abusing us. I have had experiences of rickshaw drivers trying to spit on me.”
She contends, “I feel that a share auto system suits Bangalore best. It is safe and economical for the passenger and allows the driver to make money as well. I have always felt that cab drivers do not want to ply short distances, preferring the airport route more.”
Author Sudipto Das is wary of Radio taxi services. “I got the rude shock when I used Uber for the first time. Uber has already made roars in the west, trying to put the conventional cabbies off their jobs and attracting the wrath of the cab-unions in the US and Europe. Many people in the Bay Area are said to prefer Uber to their own cars, given the hassles in parking cars in cities like San Francisco. I was excited about using Uber. I downloaded their app in my smart phone and booked a cab in just a few clicks, as expected and the cab too came on time. But while boarding the cab I was suspicious as there was no way to figure out if it was an Uber cab. The name ‘Uber’ was written no where on the body of the cab. Neither was any identity card of the driver displayed in the cab, as has been the norm in most of the radio cabs. I have faced similar issues with other cab services also.”
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A bad experience in his first month in the city put Prashant Jain off from boarding autos. “The driver was drunk; he took me on another route and tried to steal my phone. I raised my voice and was forced to give me Rs. 200 for a distance of three kilometers.”
He adds, “I think most commuting issues people face will be put to rest once the metro spreads across the city. Safety is the responsibility of the government. Regular background checks and a database to weed out those with criminal records will help in enhancing security.”