LEARNING FROM CITIES
9
SHARE YOUR COMMUTE
In this tug of war of promoting public transport and pulling more people off private transport, there is a large section of the society that is getting crushed under this crack. From a commuter’s perspective, public modes of transport if not well connected, can be unfriendly and tedious, and private transport is unaffordable and can get you stuck in longer jams. For those, who do not want to commute beyond a 10km radius, travel becomes all the more cumbersome due to all the additional time spent, for example, walking to a bus station or looking for a parking spot - steps that don’t involve actual travel time. Here, enters the Hyderabadi share auto that fills this gap in the transport system. The share auto is nothing but the regular three wheeled auto-rickshaw that is shared between commuters who have similar pick
up and drop points. These autos operate within a preset route that doesn’t exceed 6-8 kms. From there, if a commuter needs to travel further, they can take a connecting share auto to their final destination. The USP of this infamous mode of transport is its efficiency. The autos are well connected, the different routes taken are point to point, and the furthest stop is usually not more than 2kms away. This is especially ideal for routine commuters who travel a fixed distance daily, that is, from home to work and back. While this is an informal mode of transport that is not specifically accounted for, it does solve so much of the transport problem. There are plenty of lessons to take away in the way it is operated and what sections of the society it serves.
Share Auto drivers call on commuters. Image credit: Sneha Parthasarathy
100 CITY OBSERVER | June 2016